Oluwatosin Enesi
Tems clinched the award with her hit song ‘Love Me JeJe,’ beating out nominees like Yemi Alade’s ‘Tomorrow,’ Asake and Wizkid’s ‘MMS,’ Chris Brown and Davido’s ‘Sensational’ and Burna Boy’s ‘Higher.’
South Africa’s Tyla previously won this award for ‘Water’ in 2024, making it the category’s inaugural edition.
This latest victory makes Tems the first Nigerian artiste to win in the Best African Music Performance category, the first Nigerian female artiste to win the award and the most-awarded Nigerian in Grammy history.
However, her win has sparked mixed reactions on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Some critics questioned her merit, while others celebrated her achievement.
Patrick Doyle, in Tems’ defense, addressed critics in a recent Facebook post where he shared a photo of the singer, writing, “Shame on all the haters taking shots at Tems for winning the Grammy in place of their favoured candidates. The Grammy is not a Nigerian popularity poll. It is a peer review system that grants recognition for the creativity of exceptional talents universally. The fact is that the majority of musicians from around the world who are members of the Grammy Academy voted for Tems’ song. Simple and period.
“Shame on all the naysayers body shaming her out of spite and envy. Have these mindless draggers thought about the impact of their wicked vitriol on the poor girl’s mental health? On behalf of mentally well-adjusted Nigerians and Africans, I unreservedly congratulate Tems for winning a Grammy award.”
Tems received three nominations at this year’s Grammys, bringing her career total to eight.
She was also nominated for Best Global Music Album with her debut ‘Born in the Wild’ and Best R&B Song for ‘Burning.’ In 2023, she won Best Melodic Rap Performance alongside rapper Future for ‘Wait For You.’
Our Reporter
