Tiwa Savage

Tiwa Savage became the first female Nigerian artist signed to Universal Music Group back in 2012, a landmark in an industry that has historically made much less room for women than for men. Albums like Celia and Water & Garri show real range across R&B and dancehall rather than sticking to one lane, and five Headies Awards plus more than 500 million streams back up the versatility. Born in 1980, she's spent the years since collaborating with artists like Beyoncé and Wizkid while staying the reference point other Nigerian women in the industry get measured against. Breaking that particular barrier first is a harder thing to do than any chart position captures.