Fast-rising Nigerian Afro R&B singer-songwriter Tems has been handpicked to be a part of the first batch of YouTube Music’s Foundry Programme for emerging music acts.

The YouTube Music Foundry Programme is purposed at supporting and celebrating independent music acts. Since the programme’s inception in 2016, it has successfully supported over 120 emerging independent artist over 13 countries the world over.

Foundry’s 2019 breakout artists include Nigerian teenage superstar Rema, Arlo Parks and Beabadoobee. Earlier Foundry alumni include Dua Lipa, Rosalia, Dave and Anne-Marie.

For this year’s edition, Tems was picked from Nigeria along side other names like MC Jaykae, Joesef, Adam Melchor, Eladio Clarrion and many more who were picked from other countries.

As part of the programme, the artists will receive marketing promotion and education on best practices for growing and engaging their audience on an international scale. Foundry will also complement other YouTube Music initiatives that aim to support and promote artists, such as the Artist Spotlight Stories series and Artist On The Rise program for artists on the cusp of superstardom.

The programme will also present the selected artists with the opportunity to experiment with content formats and learn best practices for growing and engaging their audience. In addition, they are given access to new YouTube Music products, to share feedback and help shape future features.

Watch Tems’ “Try Me” video below: