Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, was among the distinguished honourees at the inaugural Billboard Global Power Players Event held on Wednesday at Shoreditch House in east London, England.
Tems was recognized alongside music legend Sir Elton John and Ghazi Shami, founder and CEO of EMPIRE. In her acceptance speech, the Oscar-nominated star reflected on the significance of the moment for African music:
“Being African and a musician is a whole new world, and I feel like Billboard has been so supportive of not just African music but the whole scene and the culture… This has been a really great honor, especially given that African music is moving to heights never seen before.”
Sir Elton John received the Creators’ Champion Award, while Ghazi Shami was presented with the prestigious Clive Davis Visionary Award, which was handed to him by Nigerian music executive and YBNL boss Olamide.
The event also marked the launch of Billboard’s first-ever U.K. Power Players chart, highlighting industry leaders making a global impact.
Tems continues to make history as the most-awarded African artist in Billboard’s history. In 2023, she became the first Nigerian woman to be honoured at Billboard’s Women In Music event, where she received the Diamond Award,presented by incoming Billboard Africa editor Nkosiyati Khumalo.
