Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has won the 2023 Grammy Award for “Best Melodic Rap Performance”. She is the second Nigerian act after Sade Adu to receive a Grammy award, and her win has been celebrated globally.
KAMPALA, UGANDA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — At the 2023 Grammy Awards gala ceremony, Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, was awarded her first Grammy Award. This victory marked a major milestone in Tems’ illustrious music career, cementing her place as one of the most prominent African artists of the decade.
- At the 2023 Grammy Awards gala ceremony, Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, won her first Grammy Award. Tems’ powerful voice, captivating songwriting and influential sound have made her a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, and the Grammy Award was the perfect recognition of her hard work and talent.
- In addition to her Grammy win, Tem has just become the first Nigerian musician to be nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts (the Oscars).
- In the meantime, Burna Boy, who was nominated in both the “Best Global Music Album” and the “Best Global Music Performance” categories, did not take home any awards.
- When Helen Folasade Adu, professionally known as Sade Adu, as well as simply Sade, won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1986, she became the first Nigerian (African) to receive an award for this honor.
The “Free Minds” singer became famous after collaborating with Wizkid on the hit song Essence. Her collaboration with Wizkid helped to bring her music to a global audience.
She was able to capitalize on this newfound fame, and use it to collaborate with some of the most respected musicians in the industry. This helped her to reach a much wider audience and further increase her popularity.
On Sunday evening, Tems won her first Grammy at the cryto.com Arena in Los Angeles for her contribution to the 2022 hit song by Future, “Wait for U,” which features Drake as well.
Through this award, Tems becomes the second Nigerian to win a Grammy, and the first in the “Best Melodic Rap Performance” category.
This is a historic moment for not only Tems but for Nigerian and African music as a whole. This win marks the second time a Nigerian artist has been recognized by the prestigious Grammy Awards in this category, highlighting the incredible talent and hard work of Tems and her collaborators.
The Nigerian-born British singer Sade Adu, known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade, won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1986, becoming the first Nigerian (African) to achieve this recognition.
‘Lovers Rock’, an album by English band Sade that is named after the band’s lead singer, Sade Adu, won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2002 Grammys, and Sade was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023.
Additionally, Burna Boy failed to win any of the nominations in the categories “Best Global Music Album” and “Best Global Music Performance”.
First Nigerian artist to receive an Oscar nomination
Tems had already become the youngest female Nigerian artist to win a Grammy, showing her remarkable talent and dedication to her craft. Her nomination for the 2023 Oscars is a further testament to her accomplishments and it is a great milestone for the Nigerian music industry.
Tems’ work on “Lift Me Up”, Rihanna’s song from the soundtrack of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was nominated for best original song at the 2023 Oscars.
As for the movie itself, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘ received nominations for Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Hairstyling.
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