New Wave In Conversation: Addy Awofisayo on the Grammy’s, Pamoja and All Things Music

New Wave caught up with Addy Awofisayo, Head of YouTube Music Sub-Saharan Africa , to talk about all things music, from the latest Grammys and Pamoja to infrastructure and artist development.

We started by setting the stage with the Grammys. In 2023, the Recording Academy recognized an African category to honor African artists and culture. This gave the audience and the artists a global standing, showing them that their craft is seen and celebrated. But beyond the recognition, what has actually changed? Did this give way for more funding, an economic exchange, or just a shift in perspective for African talent?

Addy: I think it’s interesting because there’s typically a lot of mixed reviews about the Grammys and African music, and whether artists should be looking to them for "validation." But I was reading someone’s perspective online that put it perfectly: it’s like an athlete who wants to win an Olympic medal, and you tell them not to look to the Olympics for validation. It’s not a perfect "apples to apples" comparison, but it puts it in perspective. The Grammys is the biggest music award globally. Yes, it sits in the US and caters predominantly to US artists, but it’s still global recognition.

Giving African artists their own category gives the music a different visibility level. We’ve seen how this talent is growing and building a global fan base, so having a category on the world's biggest stage speaks to how far the music has come and where it’s going. It’s a start, as it provides access and leverage. It changes the perception for musical investors who follow the Grammys and might not have seen African music otherwise. It opens up opportunities to perform on stages like Coachella. Because monetization on the continent isn't as robust yet, being able to play international markets where people pay $100 or $200 for a ticket is valuable. It’s beyond just optics as opens a new wave.

Timmy: Looking at that, does it mean we should use the Grammy as the yardstick for success? Like, if you release a project and it doesn't get nominated, is it a flop by global standards, or should we just ignore that?

Addy: It’s not the be-all and end-all. Even US artists don’t use the Grammys alone to determine if an artist is successful. It’s just one metric. You have your streaming numbers, your fan base, and your ability to sell out venues. Some artists aren't even keen on winning awards, some don’t even submit their work for nomination because that’s not their yardstick for success. Ultimately, it’s up to the talent to figure out what success looks like for them. I don’t think it’s up to us as an industry to say because you weren't nominated, your project is not okay.

Timmy: Speaking about the theme of the Grammy 26 Youtube gathering, Pamoja (togetherness); you brought out artists like Tyla, Davido, and Ayra Starr. How do you see more collaboration happening among African artists, rather than just them collaborating with Western culture? We see a lot of it in the West, but how do we get more of that happening within Africa?

Addy: We are definitely seeing it. Pamoja was about bringing everyone together, the continent, the diaspora, and global collaborators. Collaboration has been a huge part of opening doors. You see a lot of South African and Nigerian artists working together; that’s the most dominant one. But as you move to other countries like Tanzania, you see artists like Diamond Platnumz breaking into the Nigerian market.

For a collaboration to make sense, an artist usually has to start building a fan base in that market first. We have language barriers, Swahili, French, English, so English-speaking countries have collaborated more naturally. But those barriers are breaking down, especially in this age of AI where you don't have to be a native speaker to enjoy the music because of translations. As those barriers fall, we’ll see much more than just English-to-English collaboration.

Timmy: Pivoting to global dominance, some artists start with a viral moment and turn it into a global career, like Shallipopi or Rema. In your experience, what is the most critical phase of growth where an artist either breaks through or falls off the pecking order?

Addy: I’d say two things: artist development and the team. When an artist goes viral, people immediately expect them to be "there." But if they haven't gone through that critical stage of development, their growth might stall because they aren't prepared for the demand. Sometimes you see someone go viral and forget they’ve been in development for months or years behind the scenes.

The other part is the team. They determine if growth is sustainable. People see the talent, but they don't see the "machine", the manager, the lawyer, the stylist, the producer. That backbone is often overlooked by artists looking for a quick viral moment, not realizing that once you hit, you need a team to sustain that level.

Timmy: Speaking of that, it feels like everyone on Twitter is a critic or an "A&R" now, but they don't know the nitty-gritty of the work. They want the fees and the title, but the actual infrastructure work is being skipped. What should be done about that?

Addy: We need to provide opportunities to learn. Development isn't just for the artist; it’s for the people supporting them. You need to understand deal-making and relationship building. These things aren't necessarily taught in schools, so at YouTube, we support systems like the Music Business Academy with Godwin Tom. We’ve supported it for three years to help people gain knowledge on building a career in the industry. We’ve also supported songwriting camps and producer grants. You have to do the work to build yourself first, because whatever you learn is what you’re going to pour into the artist.

Timmy: YouTube is like a visual library that preserves an artist’s work. How do you see these catalogs being preserved or valued in the future, and how do you handle the valuation of African music on the platform?

Addy: YouTube provides the opportunity for visual storytelling. Before a video even drops, fans are creating their own interpretations through dance or skits. YouTube allows artists to put out their own visual narrative, from Fela Kuti to the newest artists, and it stays there as long as the channel exists. Beyond music videos, you have lyric videos, visualizers, and live sessions. It’s a way to visually narrate your song to your fans.

Timmy: Labels and artists have access to data, but I’m not sure they fully grasp how to use it. What does YouTube Music know about the African audience that labels might be missing?

Addy: I don't think we know anything the labels don't, because they have access to the same analytics. But one stat we always highlight is that around 70% of viewership for the top 100 African artists comes from outside the continent. Knowing that helps an artist see that breaking globally is feasible.

Timmy: What’s your advice to labels on maximizing that data?

Addy: Capitalize on where your audience is. A few years ago, Yemi Alade’s team noticed her analytics showed France as a top market. They didn't know why, since she doesn't sing in French, but there was a huge diaspora there. They used that data to reach out to promoters and do a show in France. It was so successful they had to do multiple shows. That’s a great example: use the data to influence where you do a concert, when you drop a video, or even what time of day you premiere a project.

Timmy: Fela Kuti won a Lifetime Achievement award this last Grammy, which is historic. But what does "real equity" look like beyond awards? What are the high-level conversations happening in the industry that haven't gone mainstream yet?

Addy: Real equity comes from music ownership and infrastructure. Right now, our infrastructure is still developing. It takes an artist on the continent much longer to break into a market than someone in an established market. We need music knowledge, artists need to understand what it means to own their rights. You can win awards, but if there’s no ownership, it’s not sustainable for your livelihood.

Timmy: What exactly do we need to put in place to make this industry last for decades?

Addy: I have a top three. First, regulation. We need regulatory bodies and government copyright laws that actually protect the IP of creatives. Second, education. We need to teach things like entertainment law and music management in schools so people have a jumpstart. And third, data costs.

High mobile data costs restrict the ability for artists to monetize in their own home countries. If people aren't online, digital advertisers aren't online. That restriction is a big barrier to the audience African artists can monetise from their own backyard.