Tems soars at 2022 BET

“E go be,” Tems says, as she makes to strut away from the millions of eyes watching her live on that stage.

Initially, when she had been called to receive the award for Best Collaboration at the 2022 Black Entertainment Television (BET) award, Tems, real name Temilade Openiyi, had flicked a shy look over her face.

As she also clinched the curved star trophy for the Best International Act category, the leading vibe, as she fondly called herself, stood out in that Microsoft Theatre, in Los Angeles, on Monday, in her high-slit black gown, as a bold reflection of the trans-generational global takeover of young Nigerian musicians. 

Tems, who started out in the late 2010s, as an alternative RnB artiste beat other global superstars such as Fally Ipupa, Dave, Fireboy DML, Dinos, Little Simz, Ludmilla, Major League DJs, and Tayc to win the Best International Act category. Yet, her countenance and ‘leading vibe’ shows that she is not here for just the applause; Tems really wants to sing! And her radical discography, chart-breaking releases, and landmark feats have continued to spotlight her as just the thing she so desires to be: a beacon of hope for other young Nigerian singers. 

While Wizkid’s co-win is not a surprise to anyone at this point, Tems’ win as the first female Nigerian to clinch that Best International Act category continues to leave many mouths wide agape in awe.

She has continued to break glass ceilings with her feats, and even her other ‘less popular’ nominations at the BET, such as the Best New Act category, which originally had always disenfranchised non-American blacks, are all proof of Tems’ constant and clear rise as one of the leading voices in the African music scene.