Davido joins Recording Academy as voting member ahead of 2026 Grammys

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has officially become a member of the Recording Academy, the body behind the prestigious Grammy Awards.

As a voting member, Davido will now have a say in the decision-making process of the awards, influencing which artists and projects get considered and voted on each season.

Describing the milestone as “a gamechanger,” the Unavailable crooner shared his excitement in a video broadcast:
“I have learned that voting empowers you to have a say in what is considered and voted on in each season. I am honoured to join the prestigious Recording Academy and look forward to voting.”

The move comes after Davido’s recent Grammy journey, which has seen him earn four nominations in two years. He bagged three nods at the 2024 Grammys but missed out on wins, before scoring another nomination at the 2025 edition for his collaboration with Chris Brown and Lojay on Sensational. That category—Best African Music Performance—was ultimately won by Tems with Love Me Jeje.

Opinion:
Davido’s entry into the Recording Academy is not just a personal milestone but also a symbolic victory for Afrobeats and African music as a whole. For years, African artists have expressed frustration about the Grammys’ lack of understanding of their sound, culture, and impact. Now, having one of Afrobeats’ most influential voices inside the room adds a layer of representation that could shift how the genre is perceived and judged.

It also speaks to a larger story: African music is no longer knocking on the door of global recognition—it’s already inside the house. Davido’s rise from Lagos stages to Grammy voting halls shows how far the sound has traveled, and how much influence African artists now wield in shaping global music conversations.

Of course, being a voting member doesn’t guarantee him a Grammy win. But it does mean that the genre he champions will have a stronger voice in a system that has often been criticized for overlooking non-Western sounds.

In many ways, this is more than Davido’s “gamechanger”—it could be Afrobeats’ too.