Category: Entertainment
Fave Raises Alarm Over Alleged Ban on Music Shows During Ramadan
Nigerian singer Chidozie Godsfavour Ugochinyere, professionally known as Fave, has expressed concern over a reported directive discouraging artistes from staging concerts in Nigeria during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The Baby Riddim hitmaker disclosed that plans to host a live show on her birthday, March 13, have faced repeated obstacles because the date falls within the Ramadan period, during which music events are allegedly not permitted. Taking to her X (formerly Twitter) account, Fave said she was confused by the situation, noting that she had been informed that concerts could not hold during Ramadan. She further revealed that several promoters had declined to work on the proposed show, repeatedly citing the same reason — its clash with Ramadan. Fave questioned why the religious observance should affect her work, explaining that she is a Christian and had little exposure to Ramadan practices while growing up in southern Nigeria. While stressing her respect for all religions, the singer maintained that she simply wants to celebrate her birthday with her first independent show in the country. She also appealed publicly to any promoters willing to collaborate with her despite the timing, saying she would be happy to move forward with the event if given the opportunity.
Delta Governor’s Aide Criticises Chioma Adeleke’s Outfit at 2026 Grammy Awards
Ossai Success, an aide to the Delta State Governor, has publicly criticised Chioma Adeleke over the outfit she wore to the 2026 Grammy Awards. Chioma attended the prestigious awards ceremony in Los Angeles alongside her husband, Nigerian music star Davido. She appeared in a black dress featuring sheer fabric and floral cut-out designs. Reacting to her appearance, Ossai took to Facebook to express his displeasure, stating that he was disappointed with what he described as an inappropriate choice of outfit for an international event. “I am disappointed in Chioma Davido’s dressing. She shouldn’t have been half-naked to the Grammys,” he wrote. He further argued that the outfit failed to represent Nigerian culture, accusing Chioma of embracing a revealing Western fashion style rather than projecting cultural values. According to Ossai, Chioma’s status as a public figure and role model means her fashion choices could negatively influence young Nigerian women who look up to her. He also faulted Davido for allegedly failing to advise his wife on her appearance, stressing the importance of cultural representation on global platforms. “I also expected Davido to guide her better. Cultural representation matters, and it’s crucial. I am disappointed in Davido for allowing her to dress this way,” Ossai added. Neither Chioma nor Davido has responded publicly to the criticism as of the time of this report.
Trump Slams Grammy Awards as “Unwatchable,” Threatens Legal Action Against Trevor Noah
U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticised the Grammy Awards, branding the annual ceremony “virtually unwatchable” and accusing host Trevor Noah of making a false and defamatory statement about him. In a post shared on his Truth Social account, Trump described the Grammys as one of the “worst” award shows on television and claimed broadcaster CBS was “lucky” to no longer air what he referred to as “garbage.” Trump also took aim at Noah’s performance as host, unfavourably comparing him to late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and questioning his suitability for the role. The president’s remarks followed a comment made by Noah during the awards ceremony in which he referenced Trump and former U.S. President Bill Clinton in connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump strongly denied any association with Epstein’s private island, insisting he had never visited it or been linked to it in any capacity. “I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close,” Trump wrote, adding that he had never previously faced such an accusation from the media. He described Noah’s remark as inaccurate and defamatory, warning that he was considering legal action against the comedian. Trump referred to Noah as a “pathetic” and “talentless” master of ceremonies and suggested his lawyers could pursue a lawsuit seeking damages. Trump also alluded to past legal disputes involving media figures, stating that similar cases had “worked out well” for him. Neither Trevor Noah nor representatives of the Grammy Awards have publicly responded to Trump’s comments at the time of reporting.
Wizkid, Burna Boy and Asake to Headline Afro Nation 2026 in Portugal
Afrobeats heavyweights Wizkid, Burna Boy and Asake have been confirmed as the headline acts for the highly anticipated Afro Nation 2026 festival in Portugal. The organisers made the announcement via an official post on X (@AfroNation), unveiling a star-studded lineup that blends Afrobeats royalty with fast-rising global talents. The three-day festival is scheduled to hold from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5, at the scenic Praia da Rocha Beach in Portimão, a venue that has become synonymous with Afro Nation’s vibrant energy and cultural celebration. Grammy-winning superstar Burna Boy will headline the opening night on July 3, bringing his globally acclaimed fusion of Afrobeat, dancehall and contemporary sounds to the stage. He will be joined by South African sensation Tyla, whose rapid rise has positioned her as one of Amapiano’s leading international exports. Asake, known for his electrifying performances and unique blend of Afrobeats and street pop, will take centre stage on July 4, while global Afrobeats icon Wizkid is set to close the festival on July 5. Beyond the headliners, Afro Nation 2026 boasts an impressive international lineup, including American R&B star Kehlani and rapper Gunna. Nigerian acts such as Olamide, Young John, Darkoo, Wande Coal and Mavo will also perform, further showcasing the depth and global influence of African music. Organisers announced that early-access tickets will go on sale on February 5, ahead of the general ticket release. Founded in 2019 by The Malachite Group, Afro Nation has grown into one of the world’s biggest celebrations of African music, culture, fashion and cuisine, with editions held in Portugal, Ghana, Puerto Rico, Miami and Detroit. Previous headliners include Davido, Megan Thee Stallion, 50 Cent, Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj, cementing the festival’s status as a global cultural powerhouse.
Grammy Winners 2026: See the Full List
The 2026 Grammy Awards kicked off in Los Angeles, with hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar emerging as the most nominated artist this year. Lamar leads the pack with a ceremony-high nine nominations, including a coveted Album of the Year nod for his 2025 project, GNX. The album has been widely praised for its lyrical depth and sonic experimentation, further cementing Lamar’s status as one of music’s most influential voices. Following closely behind are Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Mayhem producer Cirkut, who each secured seven nominations. Cirkut marked a major milestone earlier in the night by winning his first-ever Grammy, taking home the award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, at the Premiere Ceremony. Lady Gaga also picked up an early win, clinching Best Dance Pop Recording for her track “Abracadabra”, adding to her long list of Grammy achievements. See Full List below: Best New Artist Addison Rae Alex Warren Katseye Leon Thomas Lola Young The Marías WINNER: Olivia Dean Sombr Best Rap Album Clipse, Pusha T & Malice: Let God Sort Em Out Glorilla: Glorious JID: God Does Like Ugly WINNER: Kendick Lamar: GNX Tyler, the Creator: Chromakopia Best Rap Song Clipse: “The Birds Don’t Sing” [ft. John Legend, Voices of Fire] Doechii: “Anxiety” Glorilla: “TGIF” WINNER: Kendrick Lamar: “TV Off” [ft. Lefty Gunplay] Tyler, the Creator: “Sticky” [ft. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne] Best Melodic Rap Performance Fridayy & Meek Mill: “Proud of Me” JID, Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack: “Wholeheartedly” WINNER: Kendrick Lamar & SZA: “Luther” PartyNextDoor & Drake: “Somebody Loves Me” Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody: “WeMaj” Best Rap Performance Cardi B: “Outside” WINNER: Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T & Malice: “Chains & Whips” Doechii: “Anxiety” Kendrick Lamar: “TV Off” [ft. Lefty Gunplay] Tyler, the Creator: “Darling, I” [ft. Teezo Touchdown] Best R&B Album Coco Jones: Why Not More? Giveon: Beloved Ledisi: The Crown WINNER: Leon Thomas: Mutt Teyana Taylor: Escape Room Best Progressive R&B Album Bilal: Adjust Brightness Destin Conrad: Love on Digital WINNER: Durand Bernarr: Bloom Flo: Access All Areas Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon: Come as You Are Best R&B Song Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller: “It Depends” Durand Bernarr: “Overqualified” WINNER: Kehlani: “Folded” Leon Thomas: “Yes It Is” Summer Walker: “Heart of a Woman” Best Traditional R&B Performance Durand Bernarr: “Here We Are” Lalah Hathaway: “Uptown” Ledisi: “Love You Too” WINNER: Leon Thomas: “Vibes Don’t Lie” SZA: “Crybaby” Best R&B Performance Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller: “It Depends” Justin Bieber: “Yukon” WINNER: Kehlani: “Folded” Leon Thomas: “Mutt (Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk)” Summer Walker: “Heart of a Woman” Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical WINNER: Amy Allen Edgar Barrera Jessie Jo Dillon Laura Veltz Tobias Jesso Jr. Producer of the Year, Non-Classical Blake Mills WINNER: Cirkut Dan Auerbach Dijon Sounwave Best Immersive Audio Album Duckwrth: All American F**k Boy WINNER: Justin Gray: Immersed Tearjerkers: Tearjerkers Trio Mediæval: Yule Various Artists: An Immersive Tribute to Astor Piazzolla (Live) Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Alison Krauss & Union Station: Arcadia Cam: All Things Light Japanese Breakfast: For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) WINNER: Pino Palladino & Blake Mills: That Wasn’t a Dream Best Alternative Music Album Bon Iver: SABLE, fABLE WINNER: The Cure: Songs of a Lost World Hayley Williams: Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party Tyler, the Creator: Don’t Tap the Glass Wet Leg: Moisturizer Best Alternative Music Performance Bon Iver: “Everything Is Peaceful Love” WINNER: The Cure: “Alone” Hayley Williams: “Parachute” Turnstile: “Seein’ Stars” Wet Leg: “Mangetout” Best Rock Album Deftones: Private Music Haim: I Quit Linkin Park: From Zero WINNER: Turnstile: Never Enough Yungblud: Idols Best Rock Performance Amyl and the Sniffers: “U Should Not Be Doing That” Hayley Williams: “Mirtazapine” Linkin Park: “The Emptiness Machine” Turnstile: “Never Enough” WINNER: Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt & Frank Bello Featuring Adam Wakeman & II: Changes (Live From Villa Park / Back to the Beginning)” Best Rock Song Hayley Williams: “Glum” WINNER: Nine Inch Nails: “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” Sleep Token: “Caramel” Turnstile: “Never Enough” Yungblud: “Zombie” Best Dance Pop Recording WINNER: Lady Gaga: “Abracadabra” PinkPantheress: “Illegal” Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco: “Bluest Flame” Tate McRae: “Just Keep Watching” Zara Larsson: “Midnight Sun” Best Music Film Devo: Devo Diane Warren: Relentless WINNER: John Williams: Music by John Williams Pharrell Williams: Piece by Piece Raye: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Best Music Video Clipse: “So Be It” WINNER: Doechii: “Anxiety” OK Go: “Love” Sabrina Carpenter: “Manchild” Sade: “Young Lion” Best Song Written for Visual Media Elton John & Brandi Carlile “Never Too Late (From the Film Elton John: Never Too Late)” WINNER: Huntr/x: “Golden” Jayme Lawson: “Pale, Pale Moon” Miles Caton: “I Lied to You” Nine Inch Nails: “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” Rod Wave: “Sinners” Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media WINNER: Austin Wintory: Sword of the Sea Gordy Haab: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Pinar Toprak: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires Wilbert Roget, II: Helldivers 2 Wilbert Roget, II & Cody Matthew Johnson: Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television) John Powell: How to Train Your Dragon John Powell & Stephen Schwartz: Wicked Kris Bowers: The Wild Robot WINNER: Ludwig Göransson: Sinners Theodore Shapiro: Severance: Season 2 Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Timothée Chalamet: A Complete Unknown Various Artists: F1® the Album Various Artists: KPop Demon Hunters WINNER: Various Artists: Sinners Various Artists: Wicked Best Tropical Latin Album Alain Pérez: Bingo Gilberto Santa Rosa: Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2 WINNER: Gloria Estefan: Raíces Grupo Niche – Clásicos 1.0 Rubén Blades Featuring Roberto Delgado & Orquesta: Fotografías Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano) Bobby Pulido: Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y una Mía – Por la Puerta Grande (En Vivo) WINNER: Carín León: Palabra de To’s (Seca) Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera: Mala Mía Grupo Frontera: Y Lo Que Viene Paola Jara: Sin Rodeos Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album Aterciopelados: Genes Rebeldes Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana & Astropical: Astropical WINNER: Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso: Papota Fito Páez: Novela Los Wizzards: Algorhythm Best Latin Pop Album Alejandro Sanz: ¿Y Ahora Qué? Andrés Cepeda: Bogotá (Deluxe) Karol G: Tropicoqueta WINNER: Natalia Lafourcade: Cancionera Rauw Alejandro: Cosa Nuestra Best Remixed Recording The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake: “Galvanize (Chris Lake Remix)” Huntr/x & David Guetta: “Golden (David Guetta Rem/x)” WINNER: Lady Gaga & Gesaffelstein: “Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)” Mariah Carey & Kaytranada: “Don’t Forget…
Why I’m Not Rich Like Other Actresses — Bimbo Akintola
Veteran Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has shed light on why she does not live as lavishly as some of her colleagues, pointing to the harsh financial realities of Nigeria’s film industry. Speaking in a recent interview, Akintola dismissed the widespread belief that acting alone can make many actresses wealthy, noting that payments from platforms such as Africa Magic and similar outlets are often far from enough to sustain extravagant lifestyles. “We hear stories of some actresses who do things with politicians for money. So when people ask me why I am not rich like the others, I tell them to go ask them what other jobs they do,” she said. Emphasising the limited earnings from film roles, the seasoned actress added, “Because we know how much Africa Magic and other platforms pay for a movie.” Akintola, who has spent decades in Nollywood, explained that the public often misunderstands the true sources of wealth in the entertainment industry. According to her, many of the flashy lifestyles displayed on social media cannot realistically be supported by acting fees alone. Her comments have sparked renewed conversations about transparency, income sources, and the financial sustainability of acting careers in Nollywood.
Funke Akindele Called, Warned Me Against Mentioning Her Name in Interviews – Kunle Afolayan
Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has revealed that actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele personally cautioned him against mentioning her name during media interviews. Afolayan made the disclosure on Sunday during an interview with ARISE News, while reacting to the controversy that followed his earlier comments on the pressures and demands of promoting cinema films in Nigeria. According to the filmmaker, Akindele called him angrily and accused him of deliberately referencing her during discussions about movie promotion. “Listen, Funke called me yesterday, and all she was saying… she called and said, ‘Mr Afolayan, I know you don’t like me, but don’t mention my name in your interviews,’” he said, adding that she raised her voice and ended the call abruptly. Afolayan explained that he later reached out via text message to clarify his intentions. “I texted her and said I don’t know what must have caused this, but it’s fine, and I explained a few things to her, and that was it,” he added. The filmmaker contrasted Akindele’s reaction with that of actress Toyin Abraham, whom he said understood his point and even turned it into a skit. “Toyin Abraham and I spoke, and she said, ‘Egbon, I get what you’re saying,’ and she turned it into a skit where she was jokingly asking people to watch her film so she could make more than N10 million,” Afolayan said. Clarifying the context of his earlier remarks, Afolayan stressed that his comments were made at a film business forumwhere cinema operators questioned him about returning to cinema releases. “The cinema operators were asking me when I’m coming back to the cinema, and I said I can’t if you can’t guarantee that I’ll make substantial money,” he explained. He further noted that box office figures are often misleading, as filmmakers receive far less after deductions. “If a film makes N2 billion, after sharing, taxes, and deductions, what comes to you might be around N500 million,” he said. Despite the backlash, Afolayan insisted he harbours no ill feelings toward Akindele, describing her career as a model worth emulating. “I have absolutely nothing against Funke,” he said, revealing that he recently advised young filmmakers at the Rama Film Festival in Kaduna to adopt her business model. He praised Akindele’s consistent growth from her early success with Jenifa to the strength of her current brand, while admitting that the intense promotional energy her strategy requires no longer suits him. “She has grown consistently, and it’s working for her. I just don’t have that kind of energy anymore,” he said. The comments come after Akindele appeared to react to Afolayan’s earlier statements with a series of pointed posts on her Instagram story, urging creatives to avoid jealousy, focus on their individual paths, and develop alternative marketing strategies for their work.
Fast-Rising Singer Nanyah Reportedly Dies After Snake Bite
Fast-rising Nigerian singer and vocalist Ifunanya, popularly known as Nanyah_music, has reportedly passed away in a tragic incident that has left fans and the music community in shock. According to reports from close sources, the singer allegedly died after being bitten by a snake at her residence. She was said to have been rushed to a hospital for urgent medical attention, but despite efforts by medical personnel, she sadly did not survive. In the aftermath of the incident, a video clip has surfaced online showing a long black snake being held by a man whose face was not revealed. The clip has since fueled widespread reactions and condolences across social media platforms. Nanyah was a contestant on the fourth edition of The Voice Nigeria and was widely known for her powerful vocals and energetic live performances, particularly on social media where she frequently engaged with her growing fanbase. Notably, reports indicate that the singer was active on social media just hours before the tragic incident, making the news of her death even more heartbreaking for fans and followers. Tributes have continued to pour in online, with many remembering her as a talented performer whose career showed great promise.