- Enoch Oyedibu
- BET, Tems
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Giving her the award which is unsuitable when ones that perfectly suit her are there, is a clear communication that is very vivid.
In the 2024 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, a Nigerian songwriter and Afrobeat singer, got Dr Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award for her song, “Me & U.” The award has since become a subject of severe controversy as the BET Category of the award is originally meant for Gospel artistes where most of the uncrowned Christian artistes have been featured.
Patrick Doyle, a renowned Nollywood actor says it is unbecoming of the organisers of the award. Fans thought otherwise because the name of the award has “inspiration” on it. But what is not truly understood is that there is more to it than just an ‘inspirational’ award for Tems. What stood out for the singer is the invariable possibility of being subtly undervalued from her initial stage.
Tems is an R&B/Soul singer, signed to RCA Records, which is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. If there is any other genre of music Tems sings on, it should be Alternative/Indie, Afropop and Afrobeats. Tems is by and large, not a gospel singer. Giving her the award which is unsuitable when ones that perfectly suit her are there, is a clear communication that is very vivid.
Although Tems, in a bid to bury the shades, says the song is a conversation between her and God, the lyrics of the song are far unconventional and away from the contemporary Gospel song.
Initially with the award, one would say Tems is just a leftover consideration. She was considered for the least of the awards when all other categories were already exhausted and occupied. all to give
With the announcement, everyone thought Tems had converted to the Gospel genre, but her label, RCA Records, describes her as one that brings “an urban sound that is undeniably unique, embodying a fusion of alternative RnB and Neo soul genres.” Tems remains an Afropop artiste, the first ever to get a gospel artiste award.
Founded in 2001 by the Entertainment Television Network, BET is virtually meant to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Black entertainers and other underrepresented groups in music, film, sports, and philanthropy.
The Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award of BET was named after the American Gospel Singer, Dr Bobby Jones, who is an urban contemporary gospel artiste. The award since then, has always been used to celebrate urban contemporary Gospel artistes.
The category of the award saw changes in the 2000s with the American rapper Lecrae who became the repeated winner of the award, despite not being a gospel artiste, to 2017 when the organisers eventually considered changing the award category’s name.
Since the renaming of the award category, conventional artistes like Snoop Dogg, Mali Music, Nicki Minaj etc have been featured in the award. Tems is the only Nigerian who just joined the list.
Read Also: Why Tems New Album May Attract Grammy Award?
Enoch Oyedibu
I am a writer and investigative journalist who specialises in literary criticism and underrepresented narratives. Among other publications, I have been featured in Business Day Nigeria, TheICIR, Platform Times and Daily Nigerian. Right now, I work as a full-time staff writer for Unconventional Magazine.
