Ahead of the 65th Grammy Award ceremony billed for February 5, 2023, Nigerian Breweries, through it’s Heineken brand, collaborated with Afrozones to host the Nigerian leg of a series of pre-Grammy parties.
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The event, which honours Grammy-nominated Nigerian rapper, Tobe Nwigwe as a homecoming party, serves as a precursor to the pre-Grammy party scheduled to hold on February 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.

According to the convener, Sheila O., a voting member of the Recording Academy and host of the internationally syndicated talk show, Afrozones, the roadshow which kicks off in Lagos and ends in LA will serve as a campaign to introduce an Afrobeats category at the Grammys, a move already implemented at the recently concluded American Music Awards (AMA) with the Favourite Afrobeats Artiste.

“Afrobeats is bigger than calling us ‘Best Global Performance” Sheila said, adding, “We are bigger and here to stay, and it is something that the Grammy is looking forward to and trying to make happen. When? I do not know. All we have to do is keep pushing and putting out good music.”

On his part, Sampson Oloche, Portfolio Manager, International Premium Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, spoke on the need to project African acts in such a capacity to drive the genre into international consciousness.
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“Being in partnership with Afrozones, Sheila, we bring enjoyment to our consumers. Our role in all of these is to ignite consumer passion. For us, when you have artistes that are as relevant as these guys, that are creating new frontiers and breaking records all over the world, we feel privileged to associate with them because this is where our consumers are. It’s a no-brainer, a win-win situation.”

Responding graciously to the warm reception he and his family have received so far since their stay in Nigeria from a recent tour to Ghana, Nwigwe expressed his surprise at gaining a Grammy nomination for Best New Artiste as an indie act.

“It was surprisingly overwhelming because I didn’t think they would have the audacity to nominate an independent artiste like me, especially in this kind of category, I am the only one that is independent. I was shocked, but a good surprise.
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