South African singer Tyla secured her first MTV Video Music Award (VMA) this year, using the moment to underscore the diversity within African music.
The 2024 MTV VMAs took place at the UBS Arena in Queens, New York, with Megan Thee Stallion as the host.
Tyla won the Best Afrobeats award for her song “Water,” surpassing strong contenders like Burna Boy, Tems, Davido, Ayra Starr, Lojay, and Pheelz. She was also nominated for Best New Artist and Best R&B.
In her acceptance speech, Tyla described her win as “a significant moment for Africa” and highlighted that “African music can be pop music too.” She stressed that while Afrobeats has made a major impact, it’s incorrect to label all African music as such.
Representing Amapiano, a genre from South Africa, Tyla pointed out the rich diversity of African music beyond just Afrobeats.
She expressed gratitude and recognition for all the Afrobeats artists, including Tems, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Rema, and Lojay.
