Tems, a singer from Nigerian, has bagged her first Grammy award in the 2023 ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ category.
The Nigerian won the award for her vocal and writing contribution to the smashing hit ‘Wait For U’ by Future featuring Drake and herself, making it her first Grammy award win after four nominations.
Others nominated for the category won by Tems included DJ Khaled Featuring Future & SZA (Beautiful); Jack Harlow (First Class); Kendrick Lamar Featuring Blxst & Amanda Reifer (Die Hard) and Latto – Big Energy (Live).
Meanwhile, congratulatory messages poured for Tems on social media after the announcement.
@Shawnifee said: “Tems’ growth through the years has been mindblowing. Now she’s won a Grammy, becoming the first Nigerian female act to win the Award. Big Tems herself!”
@Afrospecials said: RECORD BREAKER: “Tems’ Grammy Award tonight makes her the first female Nigerian artiste to bag a Grammy. Big Tems for a reason.”
Another fan wrote: “Tems with her first Grammy win at the main categoriesHer growth is just too amazing. Big Tems for a reason! For the culture baby. Love you big.”
Beyoncé has become the most awarded artist in Grammys history during a historic evening in Los Angeles.
The singer, who was a late arrival at the ceremony after being stuck in traffic, won for best R&B song, best dance/electronic recording, best dance/electronic album and best traditional R&B performance. She has now won 32 Grammy awards.
READ ALSO : The Moment Burna Boy kicks a fan off stage (video).
I’m trying not to be too emotional,” the 41-year-old said on stage after winning the record-breaking prize for dance/electronic album. “I’m trying to just receive this night.” She also paid tribute to both her “beautiful husband” and the “queer community for their love and for inventing the genre”.
Harry Styles picked up the biggest Grammy of the night, album of the year, for Harry’s House. “I’ve been so, so inspired by every artist in this category with me,” he said winning out over Beyoncé and Adele. “I think on nights like tonight it’s so important to remember there is no such thing as best in music … this doesn’t happen to people like me very often.” He also won the award for best pop vocal album.
Adele won best pop solo performance for Easy on Me, her sixteenth Grammy to date. “I really was just looking forward to coming tonight,” she said at the start of a brief but emotional acceptance speech that saw her choke up when talking about her son.
Kendrick Lamar brought home best rap performance, best rap song and best rap album. “I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve,” he said in an acceptance speech, referring to the album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers as one of his “toughest” projects.
See Full Nominations List
Best Country Song
WINNER: Cody Johnson – ’Til You Can’t
Luke Combs – Doin’ This
Maren Morris – Circles Around This Town
Miranda Lambert – If I Was a Cowboy
Taylor Swift – I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)
Willie Nelson – I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Brothers Osborne – Midnight Rider’s Prayer
WINNER: Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde – Never Wanted to Be That Girl
Ingrid Andress & Sam Hunt – Wishful Drinking
Luke Combs & Miranda Lambert – Outrunnin’ Your Memory
Reba McEntire & Dolly Parton – Does He Love You (Revisited)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Going Where the Lonely Go
Best Country Solo Performance
Kelsea Ballerini – Heartfirst
Maren Morris – Circles Around This Town
Miranda Lambert – In His Arms
WINNER: Willie Nelson – Live Forever
Zach Bryan – Something in the Orange
Best Historical Album
Blondie – Against the Odds: 1974 – 1982
Doc Watson – Life’s Work: A Retrospective
Freestyle Fellowship – To Whom It May Concern…
Glenn Gould – The Goldberg Variations: The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions
WINNER: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)
Best Album Notes
Andy Irvine & Paul Brady – Andy Irvine / Paul Brady
Astor Piazzolla – The American Clavé Recordings
Doc Watson – Life’s Work: A Retrospective
Harry Partch – Harry Partch, 1942
WINNER: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Black Pumas – Black Pumas (Collector’s Edition Box Set)
Danny Elfman – Big Mess
WINNER: The Grateful Dead – In and Out of the Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83
They Might Be Giants – Book
Various Artists – Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined
Best Recording Package
Fann – Telos
Soporus – Divers
Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful
WINNER: Tamsui-Kavalan Chinese Orchestra – Beginningless Beginning
Underoath – Voyeurist
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Chiquis – Abeja Reina
Christian Nodal – EP #1 Forajido
Marco Antonio Solís – Qué Ganas de Verte (Deluxe)
WINNER: Natalia Lafourcade – Un Canto por México – El Musical
Los Tigres del Norte – La Reunión (Deluxe)
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Cimafunk – El Alimento
Fito Paez – Los Años Salvajes
Gaby Moreno – Alegoría
Jorge Drexler – Tinta y Tiempo
Mon Laferte – 1940 Carmen
WINNER: Rosalía – Motomami
Best Latin Pop Album
Camilo – De Adentro Pa Afuera
Christina Aguilera – Aguilera
Fonseca – Viajante
WINNER: Rubén Blades & Boca Livre – Pasieros
Sebastián Yatra – Dharma +
Best Global Music Album
Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf – Queen of Sheba
Anoushka Shankar, Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago – Between Us… (Live)
Berklee Indian Ensemble – Shuruaat
Burna Boy – Love, Damini
WINNER: Masa Takumi – Sakura
Best Global Music Performance
Arooj Aftab & Anoushka Shankar – Udhero Na
Burna Boy – Last Last
Matt B & Eddy Kenzo – Gimme Love
Rocky Dawuni Featuring Blvk H3ro – Neva Bow Down
WINNER: Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini & Nomcebo Zikode – Bayethe
Best Reggae Album
WINNER: Kabaka Pyramid – The Kalling
Best Reggae Album
WINNER: Kabaka Pyramid – The Kalling
Koffee – Gifted
Protoje – Third Time’s the Charm
Sean Paul – Scorcha
Shaggy – Com Fly Wid Mi
Best Alternative Music Album
Arcade Fire – WE
Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Björk – Fossora
WINNER: Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down
Best Alternative Music Performance
Arctic Monkeys – There’d Better Be a Mirrorball
Big Thief – Certainty
Florence and the Machine – King
WINNER: Wet Leg – Chaise Longue
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Featuring Perfume Genius – Spitting Off the Edge of the World
Best Rock Album
The Black Keys – Dropout Boogie
Elvis Costello & The Imposters – The Boy Named If
Idles – Crawler
Machine Gun Kelly – Mainstream Sellout
WINNER: Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9
Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
Best Rock Song
WINNER: Brandi Carlile – Broken Horses
Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck – Patient Number 9
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Black Summer
Turnstile – Blackout
The War on Drugs – Harmonia’s Dream
Best Metal Performance
Ghost – Call Me Little Sunshine
Megadeth – We’ll Be Back
Muse – Kill or Be Killed
WINNER: Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Tony Iommi – Degradation Rules
Turnstile – Blackout
Best Rock Performance
Beck – Old Man
The Black Keys – Wild Child
WINNER: Brandi Carlile – Broken Horses
Bryan Adams – So Happy It Hurts
Idles – Crawl!
Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck – Patient Number 9
Turnstile – Holiday
Best Rap Song
DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy – God Did
Future Featuring Drake & Tems – Wait for U
Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug – Pushin P
Jack Harlow Featuring Drake – Churchill Downs
WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
Best Melodic Rap Performance
DJ Khaled Featuring Future & SZA – Beautiful
WINNER: Future Featuring Drake & Tems – Wait for U
Jack Harlow – First Class
Kendrick Lamar Featuring Blxst & Amanda Reifer – Die Hard
Latto – Big Energy (Live)
Best Rap Performance
DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy – God Did
Doja Cat – Vegas
Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug – Pushin P
Hitkidd & Glorilla – F.N.F. (Let’s Go)
WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
Best R&B Album
Chris Brown – Breezy (Deluxe)
Lucky Daye – Candy Drip
Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)
PJ Morton – Watch the Sun
WINNER: Robert Glasper – Black Radio III
Best Progressive R&B Album
Cory Henry – Operation Funk
Moonchild – Starfuit
WINNER: Steve Lacy – Gemini Rights
Tank and the Bangas – Red Balloon
Terrace Martin – Drones
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Adam Blackstone Featuring Jazmine Sullivan – ’Round Midnight
Babyface Featuring Ella Mai – Keeps on Fallin’
WINNER: Beyoncé – Plastic Off the Sofa
Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous
Snoh Aalegra – Do 4 Love
Best R&B Performance
Beyoncé – Virgo’s Groove
Jazmine Sullivan – Hurt Me So Good
Lucky Daye – Over
Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak – Here With Me
WINNER: Muni Long – Hrs & Hrs
Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording
Jamie Foxx – Act Like You Got Some Sense
Lin-Manuel Miranda – Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World
Mel Brooks – All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
Questlove – Music Is History
WINNER: Viola Davis – Finding Me
Best Children’s Music Album
WINNER: Alphabet Rockers – The Movement
Divinity Roxx – Ready Set Go!
Justin Roberts – Space Cadet
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band – Los Fabulosos
Wendy and DB – Into the Little Blue House
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Diana Ross – Thank You
Kelly Clarkson – When Christmas Comes Around…
WINNER: Michael Bublé – Higher
Norah Jones – I Dream of Christmas (Extended)
Pentatonix – Evergreen
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren & SWR Big Band – Bird Lives
Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows – Architecture of Storms
Ron Carter & The Jazzaar Festival Big Band Directed by Christian Jacob – Remembering Bob Freedman
Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & WDR Big Band Conducted by Michael Abene – Center Stage
WINNER: Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson & Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra – Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra