Nigerian artist Tems (Temilade Openiyi) earned her first Grammy award for her contribution to Future\u2019s hit single \u2018Wait For U\u2019, which also features Drake.<\/p>\n
The song won the Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, beating strong artists in the category, which included Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, and DJ Khaled.<\/p>\n
Africa at the Grammys
\nSouth Africans Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode, and Wouter Kellerman also won a Grammy in the Best Global Music Performance category, courtesy of their song, \u2018Bayethe\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you so much. This is such a beautiful moment on the road to sharing South African music and culture with the world,\u201d Kellerman said during his acceptance speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to say, we are coming from Africa, South Africa. And this moment right here to anybody who\u2019s in Africa just proves and affirms that every dream is valid,\u201d Bantwini added.<\/p>\n
They trounced Nigeria\u2019s Burna Boy, Uganda\u2019s Eddy Kenzo and Ghanaian Rocky Dawuni to win the category.<\/p>\n
The award is the first Grammy for Nomcebo and Bantwini and Kellerman\u2019s second.<\/p>\n
First Grammy for Nomcebo, \u2018Jerusalema\u2019 hitmaker
\nNomcebo, whose step-up-to-fame moment came when she featured in Master KG\u2019s Jerusalema hit, also echoed the positive sentiments of her colleagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you so much to God. I once gave a song to the world that took the world by storm, but I didn\u2019t get this award and he then said \u2018don\u2019t worry my daughter, I will give you Bayethe\u2019,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Other Africans featured in the nominations (but did not win) included Uganda\u2019s Eddy Kenzo, who made his debut in the Grammy\u2019s nomination list in the Best Global Music Performance category with his song \u2018Gimme Love\u2019.<\/p>\n
In a Twitter message, the 33-year-old expressed gratitude to his fans while promising them more music.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the baby went to south Africa thank you for the support my people I\u2019m forever grateful. Viva Uganda. this is just the beginning mbagala nyo,\u201d Kenzo wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n
Ghana\u2019s Rocky Dawuni, a three-time Grammy nominee, was also among the Best Global Music Performance category nominees.<\/p>\n
In an interview with VOA Africa, the artist, whose music features Afro Roots blended with Reggae and Soul, said the nomination was important for him because it meant \u201cyour peers within the music industry globally acknowledge your work.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Nigeria\u2019s Burna Boy did not secure a win this time around, he is no stranger to the awards, having previously won a Grammy in 2021 with his album \u2018Twice as Tall\u2019 winning the Best Global Music Album.<\/p>\n
Harry Styles scooped the coveted Album of the Year gong for his third solo album, Harry\u2019s House while Lizzo\u2019s viral single About Damn Time was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year went to Bonnie Raitt for her song Just Like That.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nigeria\u2019s Tems and South Africa\u2019s Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode and Wouter Kellerman won big at the world\u2019s most prestigious music awards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":25436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,35,31],"tags":[7,14,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-25439","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-fashion","9":"category-music","10":"tag-apie-project","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-music"},"yoast_head":"\n