Two Nigerian superstars, Tems and Wizkid, were among the inaugural recipients of the 2023 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) awards.
Tems won the Best International Song category for “No Woman No Cry,” one of the theme songs from the movie Black Panther; Wakanda Forever.
Other nominated songs in this category included Diana, a collaboration between Nigerian singer Fireboy DML, American singer Chris Brown and Jamaican singer Sheansea, Wizkid’s Bad to Me, Last Last by Burna Boy and Stand Strong by Davido and the Sunday Service Choir.
Produced by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake), Tems’ Bob Marley cover art originally appeared in a trailer for the MCU Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
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It was later released on the film’s 3-track soundtrack on July 25, 2022 along with A Body, A Coffin de Amaarae and Soy de Santa Fe Klan.
In August of last year, the song debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and at #7 on the US Afrobeats Songs chart.
Neither Pop’s original single nor any of his 70+ songs have previously made it onto the Billboard charts.
On the other hand, Wizkid won the Outstanding Collaboration (Contemporary) category for his feature in Chris Brown’s Call Me Everyday.
The NAACP’s 54th annual ceremony, held virtually to celebrate black excellence in arts and entertainment, announced the winners Monday night.
The Afrobeat stars also won the 2022 NAACP Image Awards for their collaboration on Essence, a track on the Made in Lagos album.
