No Woman, No Cry wins at NAACP Image Awards
Nigerian singer Tems’ cover of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman, No Cry’ was declared the winner on Monday night in the Outstanding International Song category at the 54th annual NAACP Image Awards.
The awards recognise the achievements and performances of people of colour across more than 80 categories.
Jamaican dancehall artiste Shenseea was also nominated in the Outstanding International Song category. She is featured on the collaboration Diana by Fireboy DML and Chris Brown.
The other nominees in the category were Bad to Me By Wizkid, Last Last by Burna Boy and Stand Strong by Davido featuring Sunday Service Choir.
Barbados native Rihanna won for Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album for her song Lift Me Up from the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The NAACP Image Awards announced winners in several non-televised categories via streaming presentations all week long, leading up to the live ceremony on Saturday, February 25. It will air on BET from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California.
No Woman No Cry was released last July and soared to number one on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart. It peaked at number seven on the US Afrobeats Songs Chart and number 50 on Billboard’s US Digital Song Sales chart.
Prior to Tems’ take, No Woman No Cry made a splash across Europe in 1996. The Fugees, with Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill on lead vocals, scored big with their interpretation which was the fourth single from their multi-platinum-selling album, The Score.
Produced by Jean and Hill, it made the top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Switzerland and New Zealand. It rose to number two on the UK Singles chart.
The Fugees’ cut was certified silver in the UK (200,000 units) and gold in New Zealand (5,000 copies).
Marley’s version, which was recorded at Harry J studio in Kingston, was co-produced by Marley, Chris Blackwell and Steve Smith.
First included on Marley’s 1974 album Natty Dread, a live recording of the song from the 1975 album Live! was released as a single and later included on several compilation albums, including the greatest hits compilation Legend.
The live version of No Woman, No Cry ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone magazine’s Greatest Songs of All Time.
It peaked at number 22 on the UK singles chart and number 23 on the Dutch Top 40 in 1975. Re-released in 1981, shortly after Marley’s death in May of that year, it rose to number eight on the UK Singles chart and number 30 in New Zealand.
No Woman, No Cry live has been certified gold in Brazil and Italy and platinum in the United Kingdom.
