Grammy Awards 2021: Nigerians Burna Boy and Wizkid win

The 2021 Grammy Awards was historic this year and not just because artists performed on stage to no audience due to coronavirus restrictions.

The show dubbed as "music's biggest night" was monumental for African artists.

Nigeria Afrobeats stars Burna Boy and Wizkid both won awards.

Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, won the Best Global Music Album category with his Twice as Tall.

He said: "Africa is here! we are here! You hear me? This is something fantastic for all Africans of my generation, all over the world, and this should be a lesson for all Africans, whatever you are, wherever you are, you can achieve it."

His nomination said the album was "a masterclass in the vibe and hustle that have made Burna Boy an international musical force".

"[He] continues to torch limitations, seamlessly blending styles and genres and fearlessly fuelling the fire heating the melting pot of pop, Afrobeat, dancehall, reggae and more," it said.

His album features artists such as Stormzy, Youssou Ndour, Naughty By Nature, and Chris Martin of Coldplay.

Burna Boy lost out to Angelique Kidjo in 2020 for the same category.

The video which saw Wizkid win was described as "a feast for the fashion-forward and a celebration of Black and brown female beauty everywhere".

Wizkid's music video was for his song with Beyoncé; Brown Skin Girl, from Lion King: The Gift album.

The video which saw Wizkid win was described as "a feast for the fashion-forward and a celebration of Black and brown female beauty everywhere".

Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy was also a winner on the song.

Social justice

The awards show in Los Angeles also made social justice a key theme.

South African host Trevor Noah introduced told viewers they can see the names of nearly 1,000 people in the music industry who died last year at Grammys.com.

H.E.R.'s "I Can't Breathe"-- a response to the death of George Floyd-- won song of the year.

"I've never been so proud to be an artist. We wrote this song over FaceTime, and I didn't imagine that my fear and my pain would turn into impact and it would possibly turn into change," she said as she accepted the award.

Brittany Howard, backed up by Chris Martin on piano, ended the tribute with a stirring version of the Broadway standard "You'll Never Walk Alone."

It was also a historic night for women Beyonce won her 28th Grammy and became the most decorated woman in Grammy history.

Taylor Swift also had a huge night had a historic night, becoming the first female performer to win album of the year three times.