Tems triumphs at 55th NAACP Image Awards

Tems was named in a virtual show on Tuesday, seeing off competition from fellow Nigerian Afrobeats acts Burna Boy, Asake and Davido, as well as Cameroonian star Libianca.

Tems’ accolade for her song ‘Me &U’, which was released in October through RCA Records, arrived on the heels of scoring the Breakthrough Award at Billboard Women in Music 2024, also held in the US on 6 March. She lost the NAACP for Outstanding Female Act to R&B star H.E.R.

Davido and Lojay, meanwhile, won the Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) gong for their contributions on US singer Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’. 

More NAACP winners will be unveiled in non-televised categories today on its official website. The awards dinner and programme are set for 14 March, followed by a fashion show the day after. The televised 55th NAACP Image Awards, hosted by veteran hip hop act and actress Queen Latifah, will air live on BET and CBS on 16 March.

Burna Boy, who headed into this year’s awards as the continent’s most nominated act, lost out in the Outstanding Male Artist category to Usher, Outstanding Album to Victoria Monét’s Jaguar II, and Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song to Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Cobra’. 

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of this year’s nominees, whose outstanding contributions across film, television and streaming, music, literature, podcasts, and more have inspired us all,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said ahead of the awards. “The NAACP Image Awards stand as a tribute to their creativity, talent and dedication to authentic storytelling, and are a testament to the richness and diversity of our community.”

Below is the list of music winners from the awards so far: 

Outstanding International Song

• 'Amapiano' – Asake ft. Olamide (YBNL Nation/EMPIRE)
• 'City Boys' – Burna Boy (Atlantic Records)
• 'Me & U' – Tems (RCA Records/Since '93)
• 'People' – Libianca ft. Ayra Starr & Omah Lay (RCA Records/Sony Music UK/5K Records)
• 'Unavailable' – Davido (RCA Records/Sony Music UK)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)

• Burna Boy & 21 Savage – 'Sittin' On Top of the World' (Atlantic Records)
• Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay – 'Sensational' (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
• Lil Durk & J. Cole – 'All My Life' (Alamo Records)
• Usher, 21 Savage, Summer Walker – 'Good Good' (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
• Victoria Monét ft. Lucky Day – 'Smoke' (RCA Records/Lovett Music)

Outstanding Album

• I Told Them... – Burna Boy (Atlantic Records)
• Clear 2: Soft Life – Summer Walker (LVRN/Interscope Records)
• For All The Dogs – Drake (OVO/Republic Records)
• Jaguar II – Victoria Monét (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
• The Age of Pleasure – Janelle Monáe (Atlantic Records/Bad Boy/Wondaland)

Outstanding Male Artist

• Burna Boy (Atlantic Records)
• Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
• Davido (RCA Records/Sony Music UK)
• Jon Batiste (Verve Records)
• Usher (Mega/Gamma)

Outstanding Female Artist

• Tems (RCA Records/Since '93)
• Ari Lennox (Dreamville/Interscope Records)
• H.E.R. (RCA Records)
• Janelle Monáe (Atlantic Records/Bad Boy/Wondaland)
• Victoria Monét (RCA Records/Lovett Music)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) 

• 'How We Roll' – Ciara feat. Chris Brown
• 'ICU Remix' – Coco Jones ft. Justin Timberlake
• 'Creed III: Soundtrack' – Dreamville, Bas & Black Sherif feat. Kel–P
• 'God Is Good' – Karen Clark Sheard, Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard
• 'Joy (Unspeakable)' – Voices of Fire

Outstanding New Artist 

• FLO (Uptown Records / Republic Records)
• Jordan Ward (Artium/Interscope Records)
• Leon Thomas (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)
• October London (Death Row Records)
• Victoria Monét (RCA Records/Lovett Music)

Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song 

• 'All My Life' – Lil Durk ft. J. Cole (Alamo Records)
• 'Blue Eyes' – Vic Mensa (Roc Nation Records, LLC)
• 'Cobra' – Megan Thee Stallion (Atlantic/Warner Bros/Mattel and 10K Projects/Capitol Records)
• 'Palisades, CA' – Larry June & The Alchemist (The Freeminded Records/ALC/EMPIRE)
• 'Sittin' On Top of the World' – Burna Boy & 21 Savage (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album 

• Creed III: The Soundtrack – Michael B. Jordan, Ludwig Göransson, Archie Davis, Frank Brim (Dreamville / Interscope Records)
• Godfather of Harlem: Season 3 (Original Series Soundtrack) – Swizz Beatz & Avery Chambliss (Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)
• Metro Boomin Presents Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture/Deluxe Edition) – Metro Boomin (Republic Records)
• The Color Purple – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Various Producers (WaterTower Music/Gamma)
• The Little Mermaid Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Alan Menken, Mike Higham and Lin–Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Records)

Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film

• 'American Fiction' – Laura Karpman (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
• 'Rustin' – Branford Marsalis (Netflix)
• 'The Color Purple' – Kris Bowers (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• 'The Other Black Girl' – EmmoLei Sankofa (Hulu)
• 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' – Jongnic Bontemps (Paramount+)

Outstanding Jazz Album

• Brand New Life – Brandee Younger (Impulse! Records)
• Melusine – Cécile McLorin Salvant (Nonesuch Records)
• Who Are You When No One Is Watching? – Braxton Cook (Nettwerk Music Group)
• Phoenix – Lakecia Benjamin (Whirlwind Recordings)
• Truth Be Told – Angie Wells (Cafe Pacific Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album 

• All Yours – Kierra Sheard (RCA Inspiration / Karew Entertainment)
• Father's Day – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul Recordings and RCA Records)
• Impossible – Pastor Mike, Jr. (Rock City/Black Smoke)
• My Truth – Jonathan McReynolds (MNRK Music Group)
• The Maverick Way Complete – Maverick City Music (Insignia & TRIBL Records

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song 

• 'All Things' – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul Recordings and RCA Records)
• 'All Yours' – Kierra Sheard ft. Anthony Brown (RCA Inspiration / Karew Entertainment)
• 'In The Room' – Maverick City Music (TRIBL Records)
• 'It's Working' – Todd Dulaney (DulaneyLand / MNRK)
• 'JOY (Unspeakable)' –  Voices of Fire ft. Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records)