South African singer Tyla has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first African female artist to win the Best Afrobeats Award at the MTV VMAs 2024. The award was presented during the ceremony held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Wednesday night.
Tyla clinched the award with her hit song “Water,” surpassing notable competitors such as Ayra Starr featuring Giveon, Burna Boy, Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay, Tems, and Usher with Pheelz.
In her acceptance speech, Tyla celebrated the achievement while acknowledging the broader spectrum of African music: “This is so special but also bittersweet, because I know there’s a tendency to group African artists under Afrobeats. Though Afrobeats has opened many doors for us, African music is so diverse; it’s more than just Afrobeats.”
She highlighted her South African roots and her representation of amapiano: “I come from South Africa. I represent amapiano. I represent my culture. Shout out to all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me—Tems, Ayra Starr, Lojay, Rema, Whiskey, Burna Boy—and yeah, I love you guys, Africa to the world!”
Best Afrobeats Category Nominees:
- Tyla – ‘Water’
- Ayra Starr ft. Giveon – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’
- Burna Boy – ‘City Boys’
- Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay – ‘Sensational’
- Tems – ‘Love Me JeJe’
- Usher, Pheelz – ‘Ruin’
Watch her inspiring acceptance speech
