Davido has dedicated his life to his African roots. From paying tribute to the Yoruba people on his debut album, 2012’s Omo Baba Olowo, to hosting the inaugural A.W.A.Y Festival last November, the Nigerian-American singer/songwriter/producer’s pride is undeniable.

That’s part of what makes Davido’s first-ever GRAMMY nominations so special. Not only is he nominated for three golden gramphones at the 2024 GRAMMYs, but he’s nominated for the first-ever Category honoring African music.

Along with Davido, the Best African Music Performance Category features some of the continent’s best and brightest talent, Ayra Starr, Tyla, Burna Boy, and ASAKE & Olamide. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Davido’s nominated track is also his biggest to date: “UNAVAILABLE,” his thumping hit with South African producer Musa Keys that reached No. 3 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart in 2023.

“It feels incredible to be a part of history,” Davido expresses to GRAMMY.com over email. “Hopefully there are more African categories added in the future.”

For now, African music is also honored in the Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance Categories — both of which feature Davido’s work. His acclaimed fourth album, Timeless, is nominated in the former Category, while sultry album cut “FEEL” is in the latter.

With Burna Boy also nominated in both Categories, Afrobeats is the only genre to appear twice in each. It’s a reflection of African genres’ fiery ascent over the past few years. “It’s been at a peak, reaching mainstream [attention] the past few years that I don’t think it’s ever been at before,” Davido says of African music. “It’s an amazing thing to witness and be a part of.”

with controversies  and latest beef  with Wizkid 

Timeless marked an important point in Davido’s career, as it was his first album in nearly three years after releasing two back to back, 2019’s A Good Time and 2020’s A Better Time. While he says it’s his most personal work to date, Davido wanted to make sure the final result was exactly what its title indicated.

“I wanted to go for something that would transcend the ‘here and now’ fads,” he explains. “When people listen back to it 20 years later, I want it to hit the same as people listening to it now.”

The three-year gap between albums helped foster that, as it allowed Davido to reset and recalibrate. “I think it gave me time to not only reconnect with my family, but to reconnect with myself too,” he adds. “I think I needed that time to come back even better than before and do what I do best — spread joy through music.”

That joy certainly permeated the sessions for Timeless, which contains both “FEEL” and “UNAVAILABLE.” While he can’t put his finger on it, he notes a “special” and “different” atmosphere to this music-making. “I just wanted to let go and have a good time with creating my music and how I was feeling,” Davido says. “I think both those tracks encapsulate that.”

Whether he takes home a golden gramophone on Feb. 4 or not, 2024 will be a banner year for Davido. Ahead of attending the GRAMMYs for the first time in his career, he played a sold-out show at London’s O2 on Jan. 28, and he’ll play Accor Arena in Paris on Jan. 31. He has three more arena dates on the books for April, including New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden on April 17.

When it comes to other goals for the year, Davido’s mood is ascendant — and he hopes to keep it that way. “Working on more new music, doing more shows and staying positive are my plans and goals for this year,” Davido reveals.

As the rise of African music continues, Davido has proven that he’ll strive to stay at the forefront. Wherever he takes his music from here, one thing is certain: he’ll always make sure it’s timeless.