Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, widely known as Tems, has won the Best African Music Performance award at the 67th Grammy Awards.
She secured the award with her song Love Me JeJe, beating Tomorrow by Yemi Alade, MMS by Asake featuring Wizkid, Sensational by Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay, and Higher by Burna Boy.
Her song ‘Love Me Jeje’ from her debut album ‘Born in the Wild’ stood out, making her the second-ever winner of this category, introduced just last year and first won by South African sensation Tyla.
“Dear God, thank you so much for putting me on this stage and bringing me this team,” Tems said in her acceptance speech. She dedicated the award to her mother, whose birthday is on February 3.
While Tems made history as the first indigenous African artist to be nominated in the R&B category at the Grammys, but her track “Burning” didn’t take home the award, which went to SZA’s Saturn. She also missed out on the Best Global Music Album award, which was claimed by Matt B and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Born Temilade Openiyi, the 29-year-old now stands alongside Burna Boy, who won the Best Global Music Album Grammy in 2021 for Twice As Tall.
This marks her second Grammy win. In 2023, she took home the Best Melodic Rap Performance award for her feature on “Wait for U” with Future and Drake.
The 67th Grammy Awards were held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Below are the categories featuring Nigerian nominees:
Best African Music Performance
Asake & Wizkid – MMS
Burna Boy – Higher
Chris Brown Featuring Davido & Lojay – Sensational
Tems – Love Me JeJe – WINNER
Yemi Alade – Tomorrow
Best Global Music Album
Antonio Rey – Historias de un Flamenco
Ciro Hurtado – Paisajes
Matt B & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Alkebulan II – WINNER
Rema – Heis
Tems – Born in the Wild
Best R&B Song
Coco Jones – Here We Go (Uh Oh)
Kehlani – After Hours
Muni Long – Ruined Me
SZA – Saturn – WINNER
Tems – Burning