How Nigerian-born Grammy 2026 winner, Obinna Chibueze got his stage name, ‘Shaboozey’

BY TOSIN ADAMS

It was an exhilarating moment when the 2026 Grammy Award for the Best Country (Duo/Group Performance), announced at the Crypto.com Arena was handed over to Shaboozey, after narrowly missing it at last year’s event where he got 5 Grammy nominations for ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Best New Artist’, ‘Best Country Song’, ‘Best Country Solo Performance’, and ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’.

Little known in his ancestral country, Nigeria, because of his stage name, ‘Shaboozey’, which neither sounds African nor American, the 30-year-old has rekindled interest in the exploits of Nigerians in America and how names reinforce these.

Shaboozey, the name that has brought him fame on the global music stage is actually a mispronunciation of his Igbo surname, ‘Chibueze’. According to Shaboozey, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, when he was in the high school, his sports coach who could not pronounce his surname, anglicised it to ‘Shaboozey’, and the name stuck, literally following him into his professional career in music, where he has created a unique sound by fusing country music with hip-hop.

But Shabozey has not lost grip of his ancestry. While accepting the Grammy honour, he stressed this by asserting that immigrants have given America its colour. Shaboozey said, “Immigrants build this country, literally. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity, to be a part of a nation that promises freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it.”