Mansur Abubakar
BBC News, Abuja
Nigerian singer Tems saw off the likes of Yemi Alade, Burna Boy and Wizkid to take home the Best African Music Performance Grammy for her hit Love Me Jeje.
In an emotional acceptance speech on Sunday evening, she said her “heart was beating so fast”.
It is only the second year since the category’s introduction, a move that was widely welcomed as a recognition of the impact of African artists on the global music scene.
However, there was some controversy this year as US R&B star Chris Brown was one of the nominees – for his song Sensational, which incorporates Afrobeats elements and features guest vocals from Nigerian artists Davido and Lojay.
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“I do work out but it’s not showing up right now,” she joked as she patted her heart to the amusement of the audience.
The 29-year-old also praised her mother.
“Wow, dear God thank you so much for putting me on this stage and bringing this team, and tomorrow is my mum’s birthday and this is her first Grammys.
“I just want to thank you mum,” she said gesturing towards her, “because she has done a lot for me and my brother.”
Love Me Jeje, which samples a line from Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 Nigerian classic of the same name, has racked up 125 million listens on Spotify and 21 million views on YouTube.
With Sunday’s prize, Tems has become the first Nigerian to have two Grammys to her name after winning the Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2023 for featuring on Future’s hit Wait For U.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has joined in the congratulations, commending the singer for bringing “pride” to the country on the global stage for the “second time”.
Aside from the Best African Music Performance, Tems was nominated in two other categories – Best Global Music Album for Born in the Wild and Best R&B Song for Burning. Across her career she has now received eight nominations in all.
She began making a name for herself in 2018 with the release of her self-produced debut single Mr Rebel.
Tems gained further attention in 2019 with Try Me. Her international profile was boosted after being featured on Wizkid’s song Essence, which earned her several award nominations, including one for a Grammy.
She has received various accolades throughout her career, including multiple NAACP Image Awards, a Soul Train Music Award and BET Awards.
