Let’s be real: The music industry has a women problem.
We’ve all seen the numbers before, but they’re still jarring: only 22% of artists worldwide are female, 12.8% of songwriters, and just 3% of producers. For Tems, these numbers are a reflection of her own reality as a young woman trying to break into an industry that wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet.
Now, fresh off her GRAMMY wins and Oscar nomination, the Nigerian superstar is doing something about it. This week, she announced the Leading Vibe Initiative, a new platform designed to support young women in music across Africa and eventually around the world. The program launches this August in Lagos, and honestly, it’s about [damn] time.
“My goal with the Leading Vibe Initiative is to help discover and support talented young women who have the potential to redefine the industry,” Tems said.
“By providing access, tools and opportunity, we’re creating space for them to find their voices, step into their power and shape the future of music across the continent and globally.”
The initiative stems from Tems’ own experience navigating the music world without much of a support system. She’s been open about the challenges she faced early in her career, and rather than just talking about the problem, she’s actually building a solution. The program will offer workshops, mentorship, and access to industry professionals – basically everything she wishes she’d had when she was starting out.
Set to kick off August 8-9 in Lagos, the inaugural program will start with an intimate event followed by a full day of hands-on training. Participants will get workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions covering everything from songwriting and production to the business side of music. Native Instruments is partnering on the initiative, providing access to professional-grade production tools.
Tems has spent the last few years reshaping what it means to be an African artist on the world stage, and it’s beautiful to see her expand her growing empire. Her collaborations with major artists and her awards recognition have opened doors that were previously closed. Now she’s using that platform to create opportunities for others.
With that said, this Lagos program is just the beginning. Plans are already underway to expand across Africa later this year, with eventual rollouts in major cities worldwide.
The application process is straightforward but time-sensitive. Interested candidates can apply at leadingvibe.com/initiative, but they need to get their applications in by July 13th.