Tems Just Can’t Stop Winning

The story of the African music industry keeps expanding. Every year, new artists, sounds and milestones push it further into the world’s biggest stages. Recently, that story grew once again, with Tems adding another historic achievement to her career. 

The Nigerian singer, songwriter and self-taught record producer has become the first African female artist to earn an RIAA Diamond-certified single in the United States. Her collaboration with Future and Drake, Wait For U, has now been certified 11× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), marking one of the highest commercial achievements a song can receive in the U.S.

It is another milestone in a career filled with historic firsts;

In 2023, Tems became the first Nigerian female artist to win a Grammy Award, taking home Best Melodic Rap Performance for Wait For U. She later became the first African artist to receive the Billboard Women in Music Breakthrough Award, recognising her growing influence on the global music industry.

She also made history as the first African artist to receive a Golden Globe nomination for co-writing Rihanna’s Lift Me Up, the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Her impact has extended to streaming as well. Tems became the first female African artist to surpass one billion Spotify streams on a single track, further cementing her place among the continent’s most influential global voices.

In 2022, she also became the first female Nigerian artist and the first female African artist to win BET’s Best International Act, another milestone that reflected her rapidly expanding international presence.

Each of these achievements belongs to Tems. However, they tell a broader story about the continued global rise of African music. What was once mainly celebrated at home now sits comfortably within some of the industry’s biggest charts, awards and cultural conversations.

For Tems, another record has been broken. For African music, it is another reminder that the story is still being written and it keeps getting bigger.