Renowned musician and producer Cobhams Asuquo has voiced his dissatisfaction with the Grammy Awards following the absence of any Nigerian winner at the 68th edition.
In a video shared online, Asuquo jokingly accused the Grammys of leveraging Nigerian artistes to strengthen the US economy, suggesting they offer validation “like a carrot” that ultimately remains out of reach.
“I think Grammy is using Nigerians to boost the GDP of Los Angeles. It’s like a carrot dangling in front of us, and it goes away,” Asuquo said.
He called on industry stakeholders to prioritise the development of strong local award institutions, stressing the need to invest in platforms owned and controlled at home.
“I think we need to build something that is ours. Let’s grow something that can make other people converge in our space”.
To support his point, Asuquo referenced American sports culture, pointing to the Super Bowl as an example of a globally influential event built around domestic participation.
“It’s only America that will do the Super Bowl and be playing it themselves”, he added.