Supermodel Naomi Campbell has criticised the organisers of the Grammy Awards after Nigerian afrobeats star Burna Boy failed to win at the weekend.
Burna Boy was nominated for Best World Music Album for his 2019 record African Giant but lost out to Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo.
In a long post published on Instagram, Campbell congratulated Kidjo for her win and for “spreading light and opening minds through your music”.
But she then criticised the Recording Academy, the organisation behind the Grammy Awards, for putting afrobeats, a popular genre of music that has elements of West African musical styles, into the World Music category.
“This misrepresentation diminishes an entire genre in which such a high standard of talent has emerged; a genre that has been a force of hope and positivity for many, and a vehicle for artistry on the continent of Africa,” she wrote.
Campbell called for a new category for the genre:
“Please get up to speed on the state of all popular music today, and include Afrobeats Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and all the subcategories that this genre so deserves.”
The Recording Academy has not yet responded to Campbell’s criticism.
Source: BBC
