Black Coffee took home the Best Dance/Electronic Album award at the 2022 Grammys last night (Sunday, April 3). This was the first award and the first nomination for the South African producer and DJ. Other artists nominated in the category were Marshmello, Major Lazer, and ILLENIUM.
Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, won the category for his 2021 LP, Subconsciously. The win was historical in its own right as this is the first time a South African producer has either won or been nominated in the category.
“It was intentional to create an album that would be recognized on this level,” Maphumulo said in an interview following the win. “Being someone who comes from South Africa or Africa where most of our artists are always categorized together, whether on like ‘African’ or ‘World’ music thing. So, I was very intentional about what I wanted to do with this album where it would compete on a global scale with people that I think are my peers.”
Watch the full post-win interview and Maphumulo’s acceptance speech below:
Featured image provided by Reuters/Steve Marcus
