In the American media market, the late night circuit is one of the more popular formats. While it tends to be built around a well profiled personality (Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, James Corden etc), its value is enhanced by its utility for celebrities who are in the middle of promo runs. This is mutually beneficial for the studios who get top class talent for free while it allows the talent to speak directly to a captive audience. As Nigerian artists have started to ink deals with the major labels and there’s been a concerted effort to grow the Afrobeats circuit, the late night format has become a go-to platform for the Nigerian music elite.
Here are 13 times that Nigerian artists took center stage on American television live shows featuring Majek Fashek, Tems, Ckay, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Nneka, Davido, Fireboy and Pheelz
Majek Fashek on the David Letterman Show (1992)
Tems on Jimmy Kimmel Live (2021)
Nneka on the David Letterman Show (2010)
Burna Boy on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2019)
Ckay on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon Live (2021)
Pheelz on the Late Night Show with Seth Meyers (2022)
Davido on Jimmy Kimmel Live (2021)
Burna Boy on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon (2022)
Wizkid and Tems on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2021)
Fireboy on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2021)
Davido on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2020)
Wizkid on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (2022)
Burna Boy on Jimmy Kimmel Live (2019)