The Singer/Songwriter makes history as the first female Afrobeats artiste to win a Grammy award.
By Helena Olori
Talented Nigerian singer, Tems (born Temilade Openiyi) has, last night, won her first Grammy award, achieving another milestone in her music career.
Tems won the Best Melodic Rap Performance, alongside Future and Drake, for their track, “Wait For U,” beating out competition from other artists including Jack Harlow (“First Class”), Kendrick Lamar (“Die Hard”), Latto (“Big Energy-Live”), DJ Khaled (“Beautiful”).
This win sets Tems apart as the first female Afrobeats artiste to receive the prestigious music award, and it is also Drake’s first Grammy win after declining to submit his work for consideration in previous years.
The “Crazy Things” singer received three nominations at the 65th Grammy Awards and has received a total of four Grammy nominations in her career, including a credit for her contribution to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance,” which was nominated for Album of the Year.
Tems’ career has been on the rise since her feature on WizKid‘s “Essence,” which earned her a Grammy nomination in 2021, and it has continued to soar with recent highlights such as her Oscar nomination and win for Best Collaboration at the BET Awards.
However, Nigeria’s Burna Boy lost his nominations for “Best Global Music Album” and “Best Global Music Performance” categories at the 65th Grammy Awards, but the Afrobeats superstar had previously won a Grammy award in 2021.
See full list of winners here.