Nigerian Artist Tems Makes History as the First Female African to Earn US RIAA Diamond Certification
- Nigerian superstar Tems reached a major milestone in the United States music industry on 20 July 2026
- The RIAA Diamond certification was earned through her Grammy-winning collaboration with Future and Drake, Wait For U
- Tems is now the first African female and only the second African artist overall to achieve this landmark
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Achieving an 11x Platinum certification with Wait For U, Tems has become the first female African artist to receive RIAA Diamond certification. This is a truly monumental milestone for African music on the global stage.
Nigerian artist Tems makes history and earns big
Rolling Stone Africa broke the news on Instagram on 20 July 2026, confirming the achievement.
The certification was awarded for Wait For U, her collaboration with rappers Future and Drake.
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The track, which also won Tems a Grammy Award, crossed the 10 million equivalent units threshold in US sales and streams.
That is the qualifying benchmark for Diamond status, one of the highest honours the Recording Industry Association of America awards.
Rolling Stone Africa wrote the following caption:
"@temsbaby has added another landmark achievement to her growing legacy. The Nigerian star is now the first female African artist to earn a RIAA Diamond certification in the United States, thanks to Wait For U, her Grammy-winning collaboration with Future and Drake."
They continued:
"The certification recognizes more than 10 million equivalent units in US sales and streams, placing Wait For U among a select group of Diamond records. Tems also becomes only the second African artist overall to reach the milestone, following Wizkid, whose feature on Drake's One Dance became the first US Diamond-certified song involving an African artist. Another milestone for African music on the global stage."
Tems joins Wizkid in the elite Diamond Club
With this recognition, Tems becomes only the second African artist of any gender to hold a US Diamond-certified record. The first was fellow Nigerian star Wizkid, whose feature on Drake's One Dance made history as the first Diamond-certified song in the US involving an African artist.
The fact that both records feature Drake is a notable coincidence. The Canadian rapper has now appeared on two separate Diamond-certified tracks that also made history for African artists.
Tems' relationships in celebrity circles
Tems has been on a remarkable run of international achievements in recent years. She previously partied alongside superstars Tyla and Nigerian artist Ayra Starr in Lagos.
The Nigerian superstar has also rubbed shoulders with elite celebrities like Canadian rapper Drake, whom she was spotted dining with and who features on her track Wait for U.
Nigerian singer Omah Lay reacted to South Africa's Tyla
In more South African entertainment updates, Briefly News also highlighted facts about Nigerian singer Omah Lay's reaction to superstar Tyla securing her second Grammy Award, which sparked diverse opinions.
The conversation surrounding this award has not only showcased Omah Lay's sportsmanship but also ignited discussions on rivalry and respect in the African music industry.
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Source: Briefly News
