Jaywon, Laycon, Made Kuti, and Other Singers Who Are Grammy Recording Academy Voting Members
- Singer Jaywon joined the list of Nigerian singers who are now part of the Grammy Recording Academy in 2024
- He became a voting member two years after BBNaija star and rapper Laycon made headlines after he was also invited by the Recording Academy
- In this article, TheTalk.NG lists Nigerian singers who are voting members of the Grammy Recording Academy
In the same way that several Nigerian singers have received Grammy awards and nominations, the music industry has gained more recognition with the introduction of Nigerians as Recording Academy voting members.
Recently, Nigerian Indigenous singer Juwonlo Iledare, better known as Jaywon, accepted the invitation to be a part of the voting members.
Laycon, Jaywon and Made Kuti are Recording Academy voting members.
Credit: @itslaycon @jaywon @madekutiSource: Instagram
However, his achievement on the foreign stage stirred concerns about the chances of Ayra Starr and Odumodu Blvck’s chances of winning a Grammy, owing to his beef with the duo.
It turns out there is no need to be worried about; according to a statement via the Recording Academy website, voting members are entrusted to;
1. Only select and vote in the fields and categories in which they work, day to day.
2. Cast their votes based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible product.
Who can become a voting member?
The Recording Academy’s voting membership is meant for performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists, and other creators currently working in the recording industry.
This means it is not limited to singers; others who contribute to the music industry’s growth can be invited to become members.
Over the years, Nigerian celebrities who are not singers and are members of the Recording Academy include Deola Jayesimi, a senior label manager (West Africa) at The Orchard; Kolapo Oladapo, a lawyer and business and strategic manager at Apple (Platoon); Joey Akan, a pop culture and music writer, journalist, and podcaster; and Titi Adesanya, a journalist and EMPIRE Africa’s director of operations, among others.
However, TheTalk.NG lists Nigerian singers who are voting members of the Recording Academy in this article.
1. BBNaija star Laycon became a member in 2022
Two years before Jaywon was invited, Olamilekan Agbeleshe, aka Laycon, who emerged as the winner of the BBNaija season 6 winner, accepted an invite to become part of the Grammys voting committee.
The BBNaija star, who is also a rapper, shared the good news with fans, stirring excitement on social media months after he emerged as the winner of the reality show.
2. Oxlade accepts invite to be a Recording Academy voting member
The singer, whose real name is Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman, aka Oxlade, like Lacon, became a member of the Recording Academy in 2022.
Oxlade is known for his hit songs Away and Ku Lo Sa. He was featured on the song “Overdue” off the Coming 2 America soundtrack album Rhythms of Zamunda.
3. Praiz of MTN Project Fame is a voting member
The talented singer and songwriter, whose real name is Praise Ugbede Adejo, also became a voting member in 2022.
Praiz is an award-winning R&B singer who rose to the spotlight after emerging as the second-runner-up of the MTN Project Fame talent show. He is famous for his song “Rich and Famous.”
4. Fela Kuti’s grandson accepted the Recording Academy’s invite
Following in the steps of his grandfather, Fela Kuti, and father, Femi Kuti, Made is the Gen Z generation of the Kutis and has done quite well for himself.
In addition to becoming a voting member in 2021, Made, along with his dad, has a Grammy nomination.
5. 2008 hit maker Bigiano joins the Recording Academy
While he has not been in the news for a while, in 2022, Bigiano returned to the music industry with an Amapiano refix of his 2008 hit Shayo, with Jaybreeze.
Bigiano has only one album to his name, Shayo, which remains a jam in Nigeria.
Why Jaywon slammed Burna Boy
In another report, Jaywon joined his colleague Eedris Abdulkareem to criticise Burna Boy’s boastful demeanour.
Jaywon, who initially reacted to the fallout online, reinstated the exact words Eedris used against Burna on a podcast.
“It’s madness for Burna Boy to say no one paved the way for him,” Jaywon said.
Source: TheTalk.NG
