By Chiagoziem Abosi
Edited by Bababunmi Agbebi
Nigerian music is once again taking centre stage on one of the world’s biggest music award platforms.
Burna Boy and Tems have earned nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, giving Nigeria two major names to watch when the awards ceremony takes place in Los Angeles.
Burna Boy picked up two nominations, while Tems received one.
And there is an interesting twist to this year’s nominations.
Burna Boy gets two nods
Burna Boy’s two nominations come from his collaboration with Colombian superstar Shakira on their song Dai Dai.
The song earned a nomination for Best Collaboration, where Burna Boy and Shakira will compete against collaborations involving artists including Kendrick Lamar, Clipse, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter and PinkPantheress.
Dai Dai also earned a nomination in the Best Latin category, putting Burna Boy in competition with artists including Shakira, Bad Bunny, Karol G and Rosalía.
It is another major international recognition for the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, whose music has continued to cross the boundaries between Afrobeats and other global sounds.
Tems earns Best R&B nomination
Tems also secured a nomination, earning recognition in the Best R&B category for Raindance, her collaboration with British rapper Dave.
She will compete against major names including Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis.
For Tems, the nomination adds another international recognition to a career that has increasingly placed her among the most prominent Nigerian artists on the global stage.
But where is Best Afrobeats?
Here’s the part that may surprise Nigerian music fans.
The Best Afrobeats category is missing from the 2026 MTV VMAs nominations.
The category had been introduced in 2023 and appeared at the awards for three editions. In 2023, Rema and Selena Gomez won for Calm Down. Tyla won in both 2024 and 2025.
Its removal means Burna Boy, Tems and other Afrobeats stars will instead be competing across broader international categories.
And arguably, that tells another story about how African music is being positioned globally.
Rather than being recognised only through an Afrobeats-specific category, Nigerian artists are increasingly appearing in categories alongside some of the biggest names in global music.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards is scheduled for September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Fans will be able to vote in most categories, with voting scheduled to remain open until September 25. The ceremony will air on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+.
Burna Boy and Tems may not be the artists with the most nominations this year. Madonna leads with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine, but their presence keeps Nigeria firmly in the conversation.
For Nigerian music, that is another reason to watch.
Two Nigerian stars. Three nominations. And another opportunity for Afrobeats and its biggest names to prove that Nigerian music belongs in every room where global music is being discussed.
Recommended posts:
The Headies: All you need to know about Nigeria’s biggest music award show
Burna Boy, Rema, Davido , other Nigerian stars that have performed at sporting events
MTV EMA introduces Afrobeats category, nominates Burna Boy, Asake, Rema, others
“Another grammy”- Reactions as Burna Boy drops ‘I Told Them’ album
