A claim has circulated online that Tems is the first Nigerian female singer to win the Grammy Awards.
The claim, as published by an online newspaper, has also gone viral on social media platforms including Twitter.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian artist, Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems, recently bagged the highly coveted Grammy Awards simply known as the Grammys.
She rose to prominence after she teamed up with another top Nigerian artist Wizkid on his song ‘Essence’ in October 2020.
Tems won the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ category on February 5, 2023, for her role in ‘Wait for U’, the 2022 hit song by Future which also featured Canadian rapper and singer, Drake.
Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, was among the nominees for the 65th annual Grammy awards where he received a nomination for the song ‘Last Last’ in the Best Global Music Performance category.
Also, Yemi Alade a female Nigerian singer was recognized as she featured in the “Mother Nature Album” by Angelique Kidjo, which won Grammys in 2022.
CLAIM
Tems is the first Nigerian female singer to win Grammy awards.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
Checks reveal that Helen Folashade Adu, simply known as Sade Adu or Sade is the first female singer of Nigerian origin to win the Grammys.
The four-time Grammy-award winner also had 8 nominations for the prestigious award.
She won the ‘Best New Act’ in 1985; ‘The best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with vocal’ category in 1993; the ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’ category with “Lovers Rock” in 2001, and the ‘Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals’ category with the song “Soldier of Love” in 2010.
Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, to a Nigerian father, Adebisi Adu, and an English mother Anne Adu, on January 16, 1959, Sade is a singer and songwriter.
She had also won American Music Awards in 2002, Brit Awards in 1985, and Porin Awards in 2011.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Tems is the first Nigerian female singer to win Grammy awards is FALSE; Sade Adu won her first Grammys in 1985.
