Sh*cking Revelation: Cobhams Claims Grammys Benefit From Nigerian Hype To Enrich Los Angeles

Musician and producer Cobhams Asuquo has criticized the Grammy Awards following the 68th edition of the ceremony held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

In a video shared on Instagram on Tuesday, Asuquo expressed disappointment that no Nigerian artist won an award at the event.

He accused the Grammy organization of benefiting from Nigerian artists’ presence and popularity to strengthen the economy of Los Angeles, while offering only temporary and superficial recognition in return.

“I think the Grammy is using Nigerians to boost the GDP of Los Angeles. It’s like a carrot dangling in front of us, and then it disappears,” he said.

The producer also highlighted the pattern of Nigerian musicians receiving repeated nominations without victories, describing it as part of a flawed system of validation. He argued that the music industry focuses too much on foreign recognition instead of developing strong structures and award platforms within Nigeria.

“I think we need to build something that is ours,” Asuquo said, adding that Americans primarily celebrate and promote their own events, such as the Super Bowl, without relying on outside validation.

At the 2026 Grammy ceremony, South African singer Tyla won the Best African Music Performance award for her song Push 2 Start, beating several Nigerian nominees.

Nigerian contenders in the category included Davido and Omah Lay with With You, Burna Boy with Love, Ayra Starr and Wizkid with Gimme Dat, among others.