Tems is the Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Temilade Openiyi. She went from self-releasing songs in Lagos in 2018 to a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, an Oscar nomination and two Grammy wins by early 2025. Here are the key facts, the career timeline and what to play first.
Last checked: October 29, 2026. This profile covers verified milestones through her 2025 Grammy win. Later results are not included here.
Who is Tems?
If you searched “tems tems” or “tem artist,” you were probably looking for this singer.
She was born Temilade Openiyi on 11 June 1995 in Lagos. She spent part of her early childhood in England before her family returned to Nigeria.
She studied economics at the University of Lagos and later worked in digital marketing. She quit that job in 2018 to pursue music full time, and she taught herself enough production to make some of her early records alone.
Her sound is a slow, low-register blend of R&B, soul and Nigerian alté. It sits close to afrobeats music without fully belonging to it, which is why the Grammys now file her under both African and global categories.
Career timeline
- 2018: She releases her debut single “Mr Rebel” independently.
- 2019: “Try Me” spreads across Nigerian radio and social media and becomes her first real hit.
- 2020: Her EP For Broken Ears arrives with “Damages.” In October, Wizkid’s Made in Lagos includes “Essence,” featuring Tems. In December, she and Omah Lay were detained in Uganda after a Kampala show over COVID-19 rules. They were released, and the charges were later dropped.
- 2021: The Justin Bieber remix of “Essence” pushes the song to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Drake builds “Fountains” on Certified Lover Boy around her vocals. Her EP If Orange Was a Place comes out through Since ’93 and RCA.
- 2022: Future’s “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tems, debuts at No. 1 on the Hot 100. She also appears on Beyoncé’s Renaissance track “Move.” She co-writes Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
- 2023: “Wait for U” wins Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 65th Grammys. “Lift Me Up” earns Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
- 2024: “Love Me JeJe” reworks Seyi Sodimu’s 1990s Nigerian classic. Her debut album Born in the Wild arrives on 7 June.
- 2025: She wins the first-ever Grammy for Best African Music Performance with “Love Me JeJe.”
Myth
Tems did not win an Oscar for “Lift Me Up.” She shared a Best Original Song nomination at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, and the award went to “Naatu Naatu” from RRR.
Best Tems songs to start with
- “Try Me” (2019): This is the defiant single that made Lagos pay attention.
- “Damages” (2020): A dry, bass-heavy kiss-off and the strongest track on For Broken Ears.
- “Essence” with Wizkid (2020): Her husky hook carried this song into the Hot 100 top 10.
- “Free Mind” (2020): Her most-streamed solo song for years. It is a quiet meditation on letting go of anxiety.
- “Wait for U” with Future and Drake (2022): Built on a “Higher” sample, it is the record that got her to No. 1.
- “Love Me JeJe” (2024): “Jeje” is Yoruba for gently or softly, and the song is a plea to be loved with care.
- “Burning” (2024): An album highlight that earned a Best R&B Song nomination.
Listen next
Play “Free Fall” from Born in the Wild, her duet with J. Cole.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Best Global Music Performance | “Essence” | Nominated |
| 2022 | BET Awards | Best International Act | Herself | Won |
| 2023 | Grammy Awards | Best Melodic Rap Performance | “Wait for U” | Won |
| 2023 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | “Lift Me Up” | Nominated |
| 2023 | Academy Awards | Best Original Song | “Lift Me Up” | Nominated |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Best African Music Performance | “Love Me JeJe” | Won |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Song | “Burning” | Nominated |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Best Global Music Album | Born in the Wild | Nominated |
For the domestic side of her recognition, our explainer on the Headies Awards covers how Nigeria’s own prizes work.
What her rise means
Tems proved that a Nigerian artist could reach the top of the American charts as a credited lead voice and writer, without changing her accent or her pace.
Her 2025 win also came in Best African Music Performance, a category the Recording Academy introduced only at the 2024 ceremony, which tells you how quickly it is reshaping itself around African music.
What happens next
Born in the Wild gave her a full album and a headline tour. Any newer releases, tour dates or awards after early 2025 have not been verified for this profile, so check her official channels for current announcements.
FAQ
What is Tems’s real name?
Her real name is Temilade Openiyi. “Tems” is a shortened form of her first name.
Where is Tems from?
She is from Lagos, Nigeria. She spent part of her early childhood in England.
How many Grammys has Tems won?
As of her 2025 ceremony, she had won two. The first was Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Wait for U” in 2023. The second was Best African Music Performance for “Love Me JeJe” in 2025.
What was Tems’s first hit?
“Try Me” in 2019 was her first major hit in Nigeria. “Essence” with Wizkid was her global breakthrough.