NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s quest to host an Africa Recording Academy headquarters got a boost Friday when Recording Academy officials said key milestones had been completed, and Kenyan artists will travel to the U.S. next month to get acquainted with the international music business.
At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny won album of the year, making history as the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize. Four years ago, the Grammys introduced the Best African Music Performance category and later formed an American Music Mentorship Program in partnership with the U.S. Academy President Panos A. The California-based Recording Academy is the organization that presents the Grammy Awards . State Department, is part of the milestones achieved in the African music industry. “For things to happen, you need conditions, you need persistence. State Department.
At a panel discussion Friday with various creative economy actors, Panay said the introduction of the best African music performance category in the Grammys and the establishment of the American Music Mentorship Program in partnership with the U.S. Panay said expanding the global reach of African music was a process like that of gardening where all the necessary conditions have to be in place before the final harvest. You need pruning,” he said. Panay said plans were underway to enroll more African members in the Recording Academy, noting that Grammy Award winners are chosen through a peer-voting process rather than by a jury.
Panay, speaking after a meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday, said Africa’s place in the global music industry was a project that cannot be measured by a single launch date, but by the work being put into building a foundation.
