Kenyan Artists Paying to Play? The Hidden Costs Behind Grammy Dreams

Kenyan Artists Paying for Grammy Consideration – Here’s the Truth Behind the 2025 Grammy Entries

Kenyan Artists and the Grammy Buzz

If you’ve scrolled through social media recently, you’ve probably seen artists like Victoria Kimani and Octopizzo hyping up their music for Grammy consideration. But what they’re not mentioning as loudly? The hefty price tag that comes with submitting their work for Grammy Awards 2025 consideration.

The Glamour of Grammy Consideration

The Grammy Awards are the pinnacle of music recognition, mainly because they are peer-voted – meaning that the artists are judged by their fellow musicians. It’s a big deal. However, what many fans don’t know is that merely being considered for a Grammy involves more than just raw talent – it involves cash, too.

For an artist to be "considered" for a Grammy, they must submit an entry, pay an entry fee, and meet specific criteria. If their music passes the test, it enters the first round of voting, where Recording Academy members decide whether it’s worthy of a nomination.

Kenyan Artists in the Race

Artists like Octopizzo and Victoria Kimani are no strangers to this process. With the submission window for the 2025 Grammy Awards now closed, these Kenyan musicians are eagerly awaiting the results of the first round of voting, hoping to secure a nomination. The Recording Academy will announce the official nominees next month, with just five artists making it to the shortlist in each category.

But There’s a Catch – The Grammy Submission Fee

In 2022, the Recording Academy introduced a tiered pricing structure for Grammy submissions, incentivizing early submissions to avoid the last-minute rush that had caused chaos in previous years.

Here’s the breakdown of the new Grammy submission fees:

Early Bird Fee: $40 (about Sh5,000) for submissions between July 18 and July 31.

Standard Fee: $75 (about Sh10,000) for submissions from August 1 to August 21.

Final Deadline Fee: $125 (about Sh16,000) for those last-minute submissions.

And guess what? These fees are non-refundable. Whether or not your track makes it through, you won’t see that money again.

Academy Members Get Perks – But There’s a Limit

For its professional members, the Academy offers some relief. Members can submit up to five entries for free each year. But beyond that, they have to pay like everyone else. It’s all part of a strategy to encourage musicians to submit only their best work.

The Academy’s reasoning? To "encourage entrants to consider the value of each entry and make thoughtful decisions to submit work they truly believe is Grammy-worthy."

Kenya’s Genge Music Tagged at the Grammys

With the recent introduction of the Best African Music Performance category, Kenyan artists now have a shot at Grammy glory under a specific category. However, there's been some confusion—Kenyan music, from Mugithi to Benga, is lumped under the Genge genre by the Academy. So, if Prince Indah or Samidoh were to submit their tracks, they'd find their music categorized as Genge. An unexpected twist, don’t you think?

Victoria Kimani and Octopizzo’s Grammy Gamble

Victoria Kimani isn’t just relying on the Best African Music Performance category to secure a nomination. She’s playing her cards smartly by also submitting entries for Best Global Music Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. Talk about diversifying!

Octopizzo, a Grammy submission veteran since 2018, has also spread his chances wide. Along with the Best African Music Performance category, he’s entered his work into the Best Folk Album and Best Rap Album categories.

What’s Next for Kenya’s Grammy Hopefuls?

Now, the wait is on. If they make it through the first round, Octopizzo and Kimani will find themselves in the final round of voting, where the winners are determined. And if luck’s on their side, they could be walking away with those golden gramophones.

Octopizzo’s persistence is worth noting—though he hasn’t yet snagged a nomination, his consistency earned him a seat at the prestigious Grammy ceremony back in 2018. Maybe this year, it’s his turn to go home with the prize.