Tems and Wizkid win again at NAACP Image Awards

The awards honour outstanding representations and achievements of people of colour in music, motion pictures, television and literature during the previous calendar year. The ceremony was hosted by Queen Latifah.

Tems’ rendition of ‘No Woman No Cry’ for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned her the Outstanding International Song Award, beating off efforts from Wizkid, Fireboy DML, Chris Brown, Burna Boy and Davido.

Future’s ‘Wait for U’ featuring Tems and Drake lost out to Quavo and Takeoff’s ‘Hotel Lobby’ in the Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song. However, ‘Wait for U’ won the Best Melodic Rap Performance Award at the Grammys in early February.

Five Nigerian musicians were nominated at this year’s awards, with Burna Boy, Fireboy DML and Davido unable to chalk up wins.

Wizkid’s victory came courtesy of Chris Brown’s ‘Call Me Every Day’, on which the Nigerian musician features. The track triumphed over songs by Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Burna Boy. 

Last year, Tems and Wizkid won the Outstanding International Song Award for their work on ‘Essence’, arguably the biggest hit to come out of Africa in 2021. Wizkid’s latest victory, albeit as a guest artist, means that he has now won four NAACP Image Awards to date.

Outside the music categories at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards, South African comedian Trevor Noah won the Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special) Award for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, which he quit hosting in late September.