Nigerian singer Tems made history at the 2024 Grammy Awards by winning the prestigious African Music Performance Award for her hit song Love Me JeJe, a reimagined version of Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 classic. The track, first performed at Coachella in April, was part of her debut album Born in the Wild, released in May.
During her emotional acceptance speech, Tems jokingly said, “My heart is beating so fast. I’m so sorry – I do work out, but it’s not showing up right now.”
She dedicated the award to her mother, whose birthday was the next day, thanking her for everything she’s done for her and her brother.
At 29, Tems has surpassed other Nigerian artists in Grammy wins, with two awards to her name. She won the Best Melodic Rap Performance award in 2023 for her collaboration with Future and Drake on Wait For U. Other Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Siriku Adepoju have won one Grammy each.
Tems triumphed in the competitive African Music Performance Award category, which featured artists such as Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, and Chris Brown.
Except for Chris Brown, all other nominees were Nigerian, showcasing the country’s dominance in international music.
Love Me JeJe has accumulated over 150 million streams on Spotify and has been widely praised for its catchy rhythm. The song was also performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and at Dubai’s Sole DXB event.
In addition to the Grammy win, the track is nominated for multiple awards, including the Afrobeats prize at the 2024 MTV Music Awards and Best International Song at the upcoming NAACP Image Awards.
