Organizers of the Grammy Awards have extended an official invitation to Nigerian afro-pop music diva Yemi Alade for the 2017 show in February.
Alade, the African new school music sensation enjoyed phenomenal career success in 2016, dropping multiple hits that dominated the contemporary music scene across Africa.
She capped off her incredible year by posting a picture of an invitation to attend the 2017 Grammy Awards on her Facebook.
The photo which she captioned “Just Got Mail” displayed the official Grammy invite and an accompanying envelope:
The invitation is a first for Alade, who hit the limelight in Nigeria after winning a reality talent show in 2009. Alade is not on the list of nominees for this year’s Grammy’s and it is unclear as to what capacity she will be attending the awards, but it is definitely a recognition of Alade’s talent and achievements during the past few years.
In 2016, the singles “Want You” and “Gucci Ferragamo” off her sophomore album titled Mama Africa, went on to become massive hits on the continent, earning her a string of award wins and nominations.
At the 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards, Alade set a new record by becoming the first artist to win the award for Best Female Artist for tge second year in a row. She was also nominated for Best International Act at the 2016 BET Awards, which she lost to South Africa’s Black Coffee. Alade also made the shortlist for the 2016 MOBO Awards in addition to several other nominations including the WatsUp TV Africa Music Awards.
The 27-year-old Alade is a UN Ambassador for Peace and a graduate of the University of Lagos. In recent times, she has been hit with criticism over the lack of depth and creativity in her lyrics, which have been described as amateurish and repetitive. Putting up a picture of her Grammy Awards invite on social media was perhaps her way of replying to her critics.
The 2017 Grammy Awards will be the 59th edition of the show. The ceremony is scheduled for February 12th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
