South African artists have collectively won a total of 34 Grammy Awards from 114 nominations. South African recording artist Miriam Makeba is widely reported as having been the first African Grammy winner when she won Best Folk Recording for An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba in 1966 at the 8th Annual Grammy Awards,References:
although Phil Ramone, who was born in South Africa and moved to the United States as a child, won a Grammy a year earlier. Makeba won her award while fighting the apartheid regime in South Africa during an exile from the country which lasted from 1960 until 1990.
South Africa has produced thirteen Grammy Award winners. Ramone, a sound engineer, is the most honoured with fourteen accolades, followed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo with five and the Soweto Gospel Choir with three. In 2022, Black Coffee won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album for Subconsciously at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, making him the first African to win the category for an original work. Nomcebo Zikode won her first Grammy in 2023, alongside Wouter Kellerman and Zakes Bantwini for "Bayethe". In 2024, Tyla was named the youngest African soloist to win a Grammy after receiving the inaugural Best African Music Performance award for "Water" at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Nominated artists include Hugh Masekela and Trevor Noah.
1960s and 1970s + Year Category Nominee(s) Work Result 1961 Best New Artist of 1960 Best Performance Folk Best Vocal Performance Album, Female 1964 Best Folk Recording Best Vocal Performance, Female 1965 Best Engineered Recording Non-Classical Best Folk Recording 1966 Best Folk Recording 1967 Best Engineered Recording Non-Classical 1969 Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental 1970 Best Score from the Original Cast Show Album 1974 Cyrano Album of the Year 1975 Best Score from the Original Cast Show Album 1976 Album of the Year Best Cast Show Album 1977 Record of the Year 1978 1979 Producer of the Year
1980s + Year Category Nominee(s) Work Result 1980 Album of the Year 1981 Producer of the Year, Non-Classical 1983 Album of the Year 1984 Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special Record of the Year Best Cast Show Album Producer of the Year, Non-Classical 1985 Best Rock Instrumental Performance Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices 1987 Best Music Video, Long Form 1988 Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best Traditional Folk Recording Ladysmith Black Mambazo Best Musical Cast Show Album Herbert Kretzmer Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist) Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male 1989 Best Traditional Folk Recording Ladysmith Black Mambazo
1990s + Year Category Nominee(s) Work Result 1990 Best Musical Cast Show Album 1991 Best Recording for Children Ladysmith Black Mambazo Best Traditional Folk Recording 1994 Best World Music Album Johnny Clegg and Savuka 1995 Best Musical Show Album Best Traditional Folk Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals 1996 Best Music Video, Short Form Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1997 Best Traditional Folk Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo Best Musical Show Album Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best Rock Album Best Rock Song 1998 Best Rock Album Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best Rock Song 1999 Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best Rock Album
2000s + Year Category Nominee(s) Work Result 2000 Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals 2001 Best Musical Show Album Best World Music Album Best Traditional Folk Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo 2002 Best Musical Show Album Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 2003 Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 2004 Best Male Rock Vocal Performance 2005 Best Surround Sound Album Genius Loves Company Album of the Year Best Musical Show Album Best Traditional World Music Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo 2006 Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Best Contemporary World Music Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo 2007 Best Traditional World Music Album Soweto Gospel Choir Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 2008 Best Traditional World Music Album Soweto Gospel Choir 2009 Ladysmith Black Mambazo Best Contemporary World Music Album Soweto Gospel Choir
2010s + Year Category Nominee(s) Work Result 2010 Album of the Year Best Rock Album 2011 Best Rock Instrumental Performance Best Traditional World Music Album Soweto Gospel Choir 2012 Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Best Surround Sound Album Best World Music Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo 2013 Best World Music Album 2014 Ladysmith Black Mambazo 2015 Best New Age Album 2016 Best World Music Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo Best Contemporary Instrumental Album Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song Best Gospel Performance/Song 2017 Best World Music Album Ladysmith Black Mambazo 2018 Best Children's Album 2019 Best World Music Album Soweto Gospel Choir
2020s + Year Category Nominee(s) Work Result 2020 Best Comedy Album 2022 Best Dance/Electronic Album Black Coffee Best New Age Album 2023 Best Global Music Performance , and 2024 Best African Music Performance Tyla Musa Keys Best Comedy Album 2025 Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album Best Comedy Album Best Global Music Performance Soweto Gospel Choir 2026 Best African Music Performance Tyla Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording
Footnotes
References