Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), known professionally as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and activist from the Akoko part of Ondo State. Her music is a mixture of Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop and R&B, and has been of influence in several countries across Africa. She sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese. Alade won the Peak Talent Show in 2009 after which she signed to Effyzzie Music Group, and had a hit with her single "Johnny" in 2014. Following the releases of her albums King of Queens and Mama Africa, Alade embarked on world tours consecutively. In 2016, she debuted on Billboard at No 4 on the Next Big Sound Chart She won the MTV African Music Awards for Best female in 2015 and 2016 consecutively and was nominated for Artiste of the Year in 2015, making her the first female to win the MAMAs for Best female consecutively twice and nominated for Artiste of the Year. In 2015, Alade was the first African female to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and she was nominated for the BET awards for Best International Act: Africa in 2015 and 2016. Alade is also applauded for her creative and overwhelming stage performances, fashion and music videos, She has won The Headies Award for Best Performer twice, in 2018 and 2019. The slot was initiated at The Headies 2018 and she was the first artiste to win the category. Alade is also the second Nigerian and Afrobeats artist and the first female to hit 100 million views for a single video on YouTube after Davido. Alade's song "Tomorrow"- the lead single from her sixth studio album Rebel Queen, earned her first Grammy nomination, it received a nomination at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance.

== Early life == Alade was raised in a multi-ethnic home from Nigeria, Her father James Alade was a commissioner of police from Ondo State, the southwestern region of Nigeria while her mother Helen Uzoma is a native of Abia State, the southeastern region of Nigeria. According to Alade, she taps from the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities of her parents. Alade attended secondary school at Victory Grammar School, Ikeja, and the University of Lagos, (both in Lagos State, Nigeria) During her university education, Alade participated in a TV talent show called Peak Talent Show, where she emerged as the winner. That was Alade's debut appearance on TV, and she gained popularity. She was then signed to Effyzzie Music Group.