Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has made history by winning the Best African Music Performance award at the 67th Grammy Awards on Sunday.
Tems triumphed in a competitive category, beating some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars, including Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake, Rema, Lojay, Davido, and Yemi Alade. This marks another major achievement in her rapidly growing international career.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Tems expressed her appreciation after receiving the prestigious award. “Woah, my heart is beating so fast. Dear God, thank you so much for bringing me to this team,” she said.
This victory adds to her global recognition after previously winning a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2023 for her collaboration on Future’s song “Wait for U” featuring Drake.
While Tems celebrated her win, she missed out in two other categories where she was nominated. She lost the Best R&B Song award to SZA and the Best Global Album award to Matt B featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Afrobeats star Rema, who earned his first-ever Grammy nomination in the Best Global Album category, also fell short of securing a win.
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Meanwhile, American singer Chris Brown won Best R&B Album for his project 11:11’. This marks his second Grammy win, coming more than a decade after he last won the category in 2012 for his album ‘F.A.M.E’.
Chris Brown has now received 25 Grammy nominations over his career, making this latest victory a significant milestone.
Tems’ success at the Grammys highlights the global rise of Afrobeats and African music. With nominations for major Nigerian artists, including Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid, the continent’s influence on the world stage continues to grow.
Although some of Nigeria’s top stars didn’t win, their nominations reflect the genre’s increasing dominance in the global music industry. Fans and industry experts believe it’s only a matter of time before more Nigerian artists bring home Grammy wins.