Nigerian artist, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has bagged another international award at the 2023 Grammy awards.

The 65th grammy award which was held on Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles saw the flock of most of the greatest artistes in the world in attendance.

The 27-year-old artiste won her first grammy for her part in Future’s hit single ‘Wait For U’ under the award category for ‘Best Melodic Rap performance’.

Tems’ is also the first non-mixed Nigerian female musician to win the prestigious award.

Sade Adu, who won the Grammy for ‘Best new artist’ in 1986, and Cynthia Erivo, who bagged ‘Best theatre Album’ in 2017, were British Nigerians

The Afrobeats singer has added this to her list of accomplishments following her Africa Future awards win and her Oscar nomination.

Burna Loses Out

Afrobeat artiste 5‘Burna boy’ lost his nominations in both categories. The African giant was beaten by Japan’s Masa Takumi to win the best Global Album category and South African’s Zake Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman, and Nomcebo Zikode to win the Best Global music performance category.

Full List Of Winners

Best Country Song

WINNER: Cody Johnson – ’Til You Can’t

Luke Combs – Doin’ This

Maren Morris – Circles Around This Town

Miranda Lambert – If I Was a Cowboy

Taylor Swift – I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)

Willie Nelson – I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Brothers Osborne – Midnight Rider’s Prayer

WINNER: Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde – Never Wanted to Be That Girl

Ingrid Andress & Sam Hunt – Wishful Drinking

Luke Combs & Miranda Lambert – Outrunnin’ Your Memory

Reba McEntire & Dolly Parton – Does He Love You (Revisited)

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Going Where the Lonely Go

Best Country Solo Performance

Kelsea Ballerini – Heartfirst

Maren Morris – Circles Around This Town

Miranda Lambert – In His Arms

WINNER: Willie Nelson – Live Forever

Zach Bryan – Something in the Orange

Best Historical Album

Blondie – Against the Odds: 1974 – 1982

Doc Watson – Life’s Work: A Retrospective

Freestyle Fellowship – To Whom It May Concern…

Glenn Gould – The Goldberg Variations: The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions

WINNER: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)

Best Album Notes

Andy Irvine & Paul Brady – Andy Irvine / Paul Brady

Astor Piazzolla – The American Clavé Recordings

Doc Watson – Life’s Work: A Retrospective

Harry Partch – Harry Partch, 1942

WINNER: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

Black Pumas – Black Pumas (Collector’s Edition Box Set)

Danny Elfman – Big Mess

WINNER: The Grateful Dead – In and Out of the Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83

They Might Be Giants – Book

Various Artists – Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined

Best Recording Package

Fann – Telos

Soporus – Divers

Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful

WINNER: Tamsui-Kavalan Chinese Orchestra – Beginningless Beginning

Underoath – Voyeurist

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

Chiquis – Abeja Reina

Christian Nodal – EP #1 Forajido

Marco Antonio Solís – Qué Ganas de Verte (Deluxe)

WINNER: Natalia Lafourcade – Un Canto por México – El Musical

Los Tigres del Norte – La Reunión (Deluxe)

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

Cimafunk – El Alimento

Fito Paez – Los Años Salvajes

Gaby Moreno – Alegoría

Jorge Drexler – Tinta y Tiempo

Mon Laferte – 1940 Carmen

WINNER: Rosalía – Motomami

Best Latin Pop Album

Camilo – De Adentro Pa Afuera

Christina Aguilera – Aguilera

Fonseca – Viajante

WINNER: Rubén Blades & Boca Livre – Pasieros

Sebastián Yatra – Dharma +

Best Global Music Album

Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf – Queen of Sheba

Anoushka Shankar, Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago – Between Us… (Live)

Berklee Indian Ensemble – Shuruaat

Burna Boy – Love, Damini

WINNER: Masa Takumi – Sakura

Best Global Music Performance

Arooj Aftab & Anoushka Shankar – Udhero Na

Burna Boy – Last Last

Matt B & Eddy Kenzo – Gimme Love

Rocky Dawuni Featuring Blvk H3ro – Neva Bow Down

WINNER: Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini & Nomcebo Zikode – Bayethe

Best Reggae Album

WINNER: Kabaka Pyramid – The Kalling

Koffee – Gifted

Protoje – Third Time’s the Charm

Sean Paul – Scorcha

Shaggy – Com Fly Wid Mi

Best Alternative Music Album

Arcade Fire – WE

Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

Björk – Fossora

WINNER: Wet Leg – Wet Leg

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down

Best Alternative Music Performance

Arctic Monkeys – There’d Better Be a Mirrorball

Big Thief – Certainty

Florence and the Machine – King

WINNER: Wet Leg – Chaise Longue

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Featuring Perfume Genius – Spitting Off the Edge of the World

Best Rock Album

The Black Keys – Dropout Boogie

Elvis Costello & The Imposters – The Boy Named If

Idles – Crawler

Machine Gun Kelly – Mainstream Sellout

WINNER: Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9

Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa

Best Rock Song

WINNER: Brandi Carlile – Broken Horses

Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck – Patient Number 9

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Black Summer

Turnstile – Blackout

The War on Drugs – Harmonia’s Dream

Best Metal Performance

Ghost – Call Me Little Sunshine

Megadeth – We’ll Be Back

Muse – Kill or Be Killed

WINNER: Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Tony Iommi – Degradation Rules

Turnstile – Blackout

Best Rock Performance

Beck – Old Man

The Black Keys – Wild Child

WINNER: Brandi Carlile – Broken Horses

Bryan Adams – So Happy It Hurts

Idles – Crawl!

Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck – Patient Number 9

Turnstile – Holiday

Best Rap Song

DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy – God Did

Future Featuring Drake & Tems – Wait for U

Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug – Pushin P

Jack Harlow Featuring Drake – Churchill Downs

WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5

Best Melodic Rap Performance

DJ Khaled Featuring Future & SZA – Beautiful

WINNER: Future Featuring Drake & Tems – Wait for U

Jack Harlow – First Class

Kendrick Lamar Featuring Blxst & Amanda Reifer – Die Hard

Latto – Big Energy (Live)

Best Rap Performance

DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy – God Did

Doja Cat – Vegas

Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug – Pushin P

Hitkidd & Glorilla – F.N.F. (Let’s Go)

WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5

Best R&B Album

Chris Brown – Breezy (Deluxe)

Lucky Daye – Candy Drip

Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)

PJ Morton – Watch the Sun

WINNER: Robert Glasper – Black Radio III

Best Progressive R&B Album

Cory Henry – Operation Funk

Moonchild – Starfuit

WINNER: Steve Lacy – Gemini Rights

Tank and the Bangas – Red Balloon

Terrace Martin – Drones

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Adam Blackstone Featuring Jazmine Sullivan – ’Round Midnight

Babyface Featuring Ella Mai – Keeps on Fallin’

WINNER: Beyoncé – Plastic Off the Sofa

Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous

Snoh Aalegra – Do 4 Love

Best R&B Performance

Beyoncé – Virgo’s Groove

Jazmine Sullivan – Hurt Me So Good

Lucky Daye – Over

Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak – Here With Me

WINNER: Muni Long – Hrs & Hrs

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

Jamie Foxx – Act Like You Got Some Sense

Lin-Manuel Miranda – Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World

Mel Brooks – All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business

Questlove – Music Is History

WINNER: Viola Davis – Finding Me

Best Children’s Music Album

WINNER: Alphabet Rockers – The Movement

Divinity Roxx – Ready Set Go!

Justin Roberts – Space Cadet

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band – Los Fabulosos

Wendy and DB – Into the Little Blue House

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Diana Ross – Thank You

Kelly Clarkson – When Christmas Comes Around…

WINNER: Michael Bublé – Higher

Norah Jones – I Dream of Christmas (Extended)

Pentatonix – Evergreen

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren & SWR Big Band – Bird Lives

Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows – Architecture of Storms

Ron Carter & The Jazzaar Festival Big Band Directed by Christian Jacob – Remembering Bob Freedman

Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & WDR Big Band Conducted by Michael Abene – Center Stage

WINNER: Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson & Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra – Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade – LongGone

Peter Erskine Trio – Live in Italy

WINNER: Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton & Matthew Stevens – New Standards, Vol. 1

Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese & Esperanza Spalding – Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival

Yellowjackets – Parallel Motion

Best Jazz Vocal Album

The Baylor Project – The Evening: Live At Apparatus

Carmen Lundy – Fade to Black

Cécile McLorin Salvant – Ghost Song

The Manhattan Transfer & The WDR Funkhausorchester – Fifty

WINNER: Samara Joy – Linger Awhile

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Ambrose Akinmusire – Rounds (Live)

Gerald Albright – Keep Holding On

John Beasley – Cherokee/Koko

Marcus Baylor – Call of the Drum

Melissa Aldana – Falling

WINNER: Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese – Endangered Species

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album

Cheryl B. Engelhardt – The Passenger

Madi Das, Dave Stringer & Bhakti Without Borders – Mantra Americana

WINNER: Mystic Mirror – White Sun

Paul Avgerinos – Joy

Will Ackerman – Positano Songs

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

Becca Stevens & Attacca Quartet – 2 + 2 = 5 (Arr. Nathan Schram)

Cécile McLorin Salvant – Optimistic Voices / No Love Dying

WINNER: Christine McVie – Songbird (Orchestral Version)

Jacob Collier Featuring Lizzy McAlpine & John Mayer – Never Gonna Be Alone

Louis Cole – Let It Happen

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

Armand Hutton Featuring Terrell Hunt & Just 6 – As Days Go By (An Arrangement of the Family Matters Theme Song)

Danny Elfman – Main Titles

Kings Return – How Deep Is Your Love

WINNER: Magnus Lindgren, John Beasley & The SWR Big Band Featuring Martin Auer – Scrapple From the Apple

Remy Le Boeuf – Minnesota, WI

Best Instrumental Composition

Danilo Pérez Featuring The Global Messengers – Fronteras (Borders) Suite: Al-Musafir Blues

WINNER: Geoffrey Keezer – Refuge

Miguel Zenón, José Antonio Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith & Casey Rafn – El País Invisible

Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar – African Tales

Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar – Snapshots

Best Immersive Audio Album

Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene – Tuvayhun — Beatitudes for a Wounded World

The Chainsmokers – Memories…Do Not Open

Christina Aguilera – Aguilera

Jane Ira Bloom – Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1

WINNER: Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej – Divine Tides

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Baynk – Adolescence

Father John Misty – Chloë and the Next 20th Century

WINNER: Harry Styles – Harry’s House

Robert Glasper – Black Radio III

Wet Leg – Wet Leg

Best Remixed Recording

Beyoncé – Break My Soul (Terry Hunter Remix)

Ellie Goulding – Easy Lover (Four Tet Remix)

The Knocks & Dragonette – Slow Song (Paul Woolford Remix)

WINNER: Lizzo – About Damn Time (Purple Disco Machine Remix)

Wet Leg – Too Late Now (Soulwax Remix)

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

WINNER: Beyoncé – Break My Soul

Bonobo – Rosewood

David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – I’m Good (Blue)

Diplo & Miguel – Don’t Forget My Love

Kaytranada Featuring H.E.R. – Intimidated

Rüfüs Du Sol – On My Knees

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

Austin Wintory – Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Bear McCreary – Call of Duty®: Vanguard

Christopher Tin – Old World

Richard Jacques – Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

WINNER: Stephanie Economou – Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)

WINNER: Germaine Franco – Encanto

Hans Zimmer – No Time to Die

Jonny Greenwood – The Power of the Dog

Michael Giacchino – The Batman

Nicholas Britell – Succession: Season 3

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Various Artists – Elvis

WINNER: Various Artists – Encanto

Various Artists – Stranger Things: Soundtrack From the Netflix Series, Season 4

Lorne Balfe, Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga & Hans Zimmer – Top Gun: Maverick

Various Artists – West Side Story

Award-winning songwriter and filmmaker, AbdurRasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skills has announced that he has returned to Islam, his father’s religion.

The former husband of popular actress, Funke Akindele, made this known through a series of posts on his verified Instagram handle and corroborated his announcement with an interview with an Islamic online platform, Muslims News, on Thursday.

JJC Skills said he was originally born into an Islamic family but he never practiced it as he chose to follow the faith of his mummy, adding, “I was lost but now I’m found O Allah, I ask You for Your pardon and well-being in this life and the next.

“O Allah, veil my weaknesses and set at ease my dismay, and preserve me from the front and behind and on my right and my left and from above, and I take refuge with You lest I be swallowed up by the earth.”

Speaking to Muslims News, the musician said it was a design of God that he would finally embrace Islam.

“I was born a Muslim, AbdurRasheed by name. My dad, Bello is a Muslim but my mum is a Christian. Back then I used to go Islamiyah but all I remembered about it was getting beaten. They used to scare us with hellfire so, I never practiced.

“It’s God’s design that I will return to Islam. I thank Allah for sparing my life.

“I am so happy I found Islam again because it has given me peace. It has given me direction and focus. I was truly lost but now, I am found,” he maintained.

 

 

It was glitz and glamour as the premier and leading financial institution in the country, FirstBank thrilled their customer to a memorable “DecemberIssaVybe” at the just concluded Vibe on the Beach, featuring sensational music act, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun widely known as Big Wiz. The timing of the concert was right, having had Asake and Kiss Daniel’s concert precede that of the grammy award winning music sensation.

DecemberIssaVybe is not just about music but fun, fun and fun in its entirety, from stage plays to art and culture… the list comprised Culturati to Beeta Arts Festival Abuja, Koffi Tha Guru Unorthodox, Duke of Shomolu Production’s Encore, Our Duke Has Gone Mad Again and Ufok Iban.

Others supported by the Bank include; Joromi: The Musical Concert; Osamede, Awo and Ufok Iban by Duke of Shomolu Productions.

So back to the main gist… tell me who does not love gist, especially when it comes to Big Wiz.

Vibes on The Beach was held at Landmark Beach Oniru, Lagos on Friday, December 30th, 2022. It was unarguably an amazing night of fun and nothing but a star-studded show which exploded the audience to the height of ecstasy and rhythm of bliss courtesy of FirstBank.

With the kick time slated for 6 pm, the environs of Oniru were a beehive of activities as thousands thronged Landmark to be a partaker of the grandest Lagos concert of the year.

The organizational skills of the organizers and sponsors were nothing short of perfection as Landmark was transfigured into a haven of an international center, divided into regular, VIP, and VVIP.

Of a truth, the attendees who cut across individuals, friends, family members who came for reunions, and lovers were all smiles as they passed through the passage of entrance branded with FirstBank, the only financial brand which has provided them the opportunity and platform for yet another memorable homecoming experience with their idol, Wizkid.

Those at the regulars, VIPs, and VVIPs stands were mesmerized by the decoration and branding of the venue and the cool atmosphere which prepared them for the entrance of their favorite show hosts, Mr. Macaroni and Kiekie whose real names are Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori.

Guests and fans of Big Wiz were in High expectations of the fun-filled experience they signed for the night when Popular skit maker cum musician, Oderhohwo Joseph Efe, famously called Carter Efe and Berri Tiga sang their trendy song, Machala, a blend of Afro-fusion. The song is widely attributed to be an anthem in honour of the superstar singer, Wizkid.

Afterwards, Landmark was thrown into a frenzy as Big Wiz, the biggest act of the night was ushered on stage. Interestingly, the entrance of Big Wiz was a barrier breaker and line crosser as those in the regular, VIP, and VVIP stands all melted into unison to the scintillating performance of the music superstar as he took everyone down memory lane starting from his evergreen debut singles to the newest and fresh contemporary songs. And guess what? Wizkid surprised everyone and added a juicy flavour to the event by doing a collaboration with the popular act, Naira Marley.

Truth be told, the 2022 edition of “#DecemberIssaVybe” by FirstBank goes beyond excitement but birthed memories that will be hard to fade off attendees’ minds for many years.

The bank’s dedication to going beyond functional products and benefits for its stakeholders and providing these types of enabling experiences sets it apart in the industry and solidifies its position as a leader in not just directly supporting the arts and entertainment industry but economically impacting its value chain.

Anyone not following the Bank is surely on a long thing but hey, it is never too late as there are still many excitements the Bank creates on its social media ecosystem via @firstbanknigeria (Instagram); @FirstBankngr (Twitter) and First Bank of Nigeria Limited (Facebook).

2023 will surely be another back-to-back hit as the financial giant creates more memorable fun for its customers and followers.