Kenya’s bid to host the Recording Academy’s new Africa headquarters received a public boost this week, with the Grammy organization’s president confirming “key milestones” have been completed as the country competes against Nigeria and South Africa for the hub.
The Kenyan government has invested $3.9 million toward the effort. Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay pointed to the introduction of a Best African Music Performance Grammy category and a new American Music Mentorship Program run in partnership with the U.S. State Department as evidence of momentum, while cautioning it remains a long-term project. “For things to happen, you need conditions, you need persistence. You need pruning,” Panay said.
President William Ruto has personally backed the bid, betting that landing the hub would draw studios, labels, streaming platforms and international investors to Kenya’s creative economy and give African artists a stronger foothold on the global stage.
Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud and media executive Nicholas Weinstock are also involved in the push, which comes as the Grammys continue expanding their global reach following Bad Bunny’s historic Spanish-language Album of the Year win earlier this year.
Source: News4JAX
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