Nollywood veteran, Patrick Doyle, has criticised the organisers of the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards for crowning Nigerian Afropop singer Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, with the Best Gospel/Inspirational Award at the 2024 BET Awards.
The BET Awards, established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network, celebrate Black entertainers and minorities in music, film, sports, and philanthropy. They are broadcast live annually on BET.
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The Nigerian music star defeated gospel heavyweights Kirk Franklin, CeCe Winans, and Maverick City to win the Dr. Bobby Jones “Best Gospel/Inspirational Award” at the 2024 BET Awards, held on Sunday at the Peacock Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles.
Traditionally dominated by gospel singers, this category saw a shift this year with Tems’ win. Although the lyrics of her winning song, “Me & U,” do not entirely fit the conventional gospel mould, Tems has explained that the music reflects her relationship with God and the transformation she experienced in her journey.
Reacting, the President of St. Finbarr’s College Old Students Association expressed empathy for mainstream gospel artists who feel slighted by Tems, an evidently secular musician, receiving the BET award for Best Gospel Song.
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“That said, I believe it’s about time committed Christians stop seeking validation from fickle institutions like the entertainment industry mafia, which by the way, is in the grip of Satan,” he stated.
