Nigerian-American Singer Shaboozey Wins First Grammy, Dedicates Award to Immigrants

Nigerian-American singer Collins Obinna Chibueze, popularly known as Shaboozey, won his first Grammy Award.

Shaboozey emerged a winner at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

He took home the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award for “Amen,” a gospel-inspired country track he recorded with Jelly Roll.

The song, featured on Jelly Roll’s album, mixes modern country sounds with themes of faith, redemption, and gratitude.

The win is a major milestone for Shaboozey, who was born in Woodbridge, Virginia, and is of Igbo-Nigerian descent. His music blends hip-hop, R&B, and country influences.

It’s also Jelly Roll’s first Grammy, highlighting the growing recognition of artists who cross traditional genre lines in country music.

Shaboozey received the award during the Grammy Premiere Ceremony, arriving just minutes before the announcement.

Overcome with emotion, the singer struggled to hold back tears as he gave one of the night’s most memorable acceptance speeches.

He began by thanking God and dedicated the award to his mother and immigrants, saying “I’ve never written a speech in my life…Dear God, I just wanna say thank you. Nothing is possible without you.

“I want to also thank my mother, an immigrant who as of today has retired from her job of 30 years, working in the medical field as a registered nurse in the psych ward.

“She worked 3 to 4 jobs just to provide for me and my four siblings, the children of immigrants … I have the greatest team in the world, thank you so much.”

Shaboozey then extended his dedication to immigrants across the United States.

“This is for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity, to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunities for everyone willing to work for it.

“Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your tradition here. You give America colour. Immigrants built this country, literally,” he said.

The speech was widely praised online and was called one of the ceremony’s most emotional moments.

Backstage, Shaboozey credited his management teams at American Dogwood and EMPIRE for their support, describing the Grammy win as a surreal experience.

KanyiDaily also reported that South African singer Tyla won her second Grammy for Best African Music Performance at the 2026 awards ceremony, edging out top Nigerian acts in the same category.