Ugandan music artist Eddy Kenzo has received his second Grammy Awards nomination for Best African Music Performance for his song “Hope and Love,” featuring Swedish artist Mehran Matin.

Kenzo expressed gratitude for the nomination, thanking God and his supporters. He attributes the nod to the song’s uniqueness, citing the Grammy Academy’s criteria of quality, melody, instrumentation, and originality.

“It’s about the uniqueness of the song because they have criteria they follow, they look at the quality in what you do in terms of melody, the instrumentation and originality of the song,” Kenzo said.

The song, released three months ago, has about 12,000 views on YouTube, but Kenzo emphasizes that popularity wasn’t a factor in the nomination.

The Grammy Academy states that nominations are based on artistic quality, originality, and technical excellence, regardless of commercial success.

Kenzo’s nomination is his second, following his 2023 collaboration with Matt B on “Gimme Love.” “Hope and Love” blends afrobeats rhythms with African pop, putting Kenzo in contention with top artists like Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid.