Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, made history as the first female non-mixed Nigerian artist to win a Grammy award for her contribution to Future’s hit single “Wait For U.” She was honored in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category, beating out other notable artists such as Latto, Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, and DJ Khaled.
The single, which was released in May 2022, samples Tems’ song “Higher” from her 2020 debut album “For Broken Ears.” This win sets Tems apart as the first non-mixed Nigerian female musician to receive this prestigious award, following in the footsteps of legendary Nigerian artist Sade who has won the award four times.
Tems’ accomplishment was recognized at the 65th Grammy Awards, held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, alongside other winners such as South Africans Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini, and Nomcebo Zikode who won Best Global Music Performance for their collaboration “Bayethe.”
Tems’ success is just the latest in her impressive list of achievements, including two NAACP Image Awards, two BET Awards, and two Soul Train Music Awards. She has also earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for her co-writing credits on Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up.”
The Lagos-born singer-songwriter is a self-taught musician, having learned production by watching YouTube videos. In 2018, she quit her day job to fully pursue her musical career, releasing her first single “Mr Rebel” that same year. Tems’ determination and talent have led to a meteoric rise in her musical career.
