Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, was honoured with the Diamond Award at the inaugural Billboard Global Power Players Event. The event was held on June 4, 2025, at Shoreditch House in East London, England.
Tems was celebrated alongside iconic British artist Sir Elton John and EMPIRE founder and CEO Ghazi Shami. The award was presented to her by Nkosiyati Khumalo, the incoming editor of Billboard Africa.
Tems, who is currently the most-awarded African artist in Billboard’s history, made history again. In 2024, she became the first Nigerian woman to be honoured at Billboard’s Women In Music event. This latest recognition adds to her growing list of international accolades.
In her acceptance speech, Tems expressed heartfelt gratitude to Billboard for supporting African music and culture. She praised the platform for being instrumental in taking African music to new global heights.
“This has been a really great honour, especially given that African music is moving to heights that have never been seen before, and Billboard is one of the key players in moving that needle forward,” she said.
The event also marked the launch of the first-ever U.K. Power Players chart, further celebrating major contributors to the global music industry.
