Tyla Wins Best Afrobeats at the 2024 VMAs & Educates the World on Africa’s Music Diversity

Credit: Billboard Hip Hop/Instagram

South African superstar Tyla won her first MTV Video Music Award (VMA) this year, and her acceptance speech carried a powerful message for the global music industry: African music is rich, diverse, and far more than just Afrobeats.

Held yesterday at the UBS Arena in Queens, New York, the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards had Megan Thee Stallion as the host. This year marked another milestone for African music, as Tyla took home the award for Best Afrobeats with her chart-topping hit “Water.” She was in the “Best Afrobeats” category alongside  Burna Boy, Tems, Tyla, Davido, Ayra Starr, Lojay, and Pheelz and was also nominated for “Best New Artist,” and “Best RnB.”

After being presented with her award by Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey, Tyla expressed her gratitude to the organisers of the show and described her win as “a big moment for Africa,” adding that the success of “Water” not only made a global impact but also proved that “African music can be pop music too.”

“Like this is just so special but also bittersweet, because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats,” she said.  “African music is so diverse, it’s more than just Afrobeats.”

Tyla’s win follows the success of Rema, who took home the inaugural Best Afrobeats award last year for his hit song “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift dominated the night with seven wins, tying for most overall, while Eminem claimed the most solo male artist wins.

Watch Tyla receive her award below:

 

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See looks from the event:

Coco Jones

 

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Lenny Kravitz

 

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Sabrina Carpenter

 

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Halle Bailey

 

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Megan Thee Stallion

 

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See the full list of winners below:

Video of the Year, Presented by Burger King®

Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Billie Eilish – Lunch
Doja Cat – Pain the Town Red
Eminem – Houdini
SZA – Snooze
WINNER: Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Artist of the Year

Ariana Grande
Bad Bunny
Eminem
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
WINNER: Taylor Swift

Song of the Year

Beyoncé – Texas Hold ’Em
Jack Harlow – Lovin on Me
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
Teddy Swims – Lose Control

Best New Artist

Benson Boone
WINNER: Chappell Roan
Gracie Abrams
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Tyla

MTV Push Performance of the Year

August 2023: Kaliii – Area Codes
September 2023: Glorilla – Lick or Sum
October 2023: Benson Boone – In the Stars
November 2023: Coco Jones – ICU
December 2023: Victoria Monét – On My Mama
January 2024: Jessie Murph – Wild Ones
February 2024: Teddy Swims – Lose Control
March 2024: Chappell Roan – Red Wine Supernova
April 2024: Flyana Boss – Yeaaa
May 2024: Laufey – Goddess
WINNER: June 2024: Le Sserafim – Easy
July 2024: The Warning – Automatic Sun

Best Collaboration

Drake Featuring Sexyy Red & SZA – Rich Baby Daddy
Glorilla & Megan Thee Stallion – Wanna Be
Jessie Murph Featuring Jelly Roll – Wild Ones
Jung Kook Featuring Latto – Seven
Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen – I Had Some Help
WINNER: Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Best Pop

Camila Cabello
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
WINNER: Taylor Swift

Best Hip-Hop

Drake Featuring Sexyy Red & SZA – Rich Baby Daddy
WINNER: Eminem – Houdini
Glorilla – Yeah Glo!
Gunna – Fukumean
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Travis Scott Featuring Playboi Carti – Fe!n

Best R&B

Alicia Keys – Lifeline
Muni Long – Made for Me
WINNER: SZA – Snooze
Tyla – Water
Usha, Summer Walker & 21 Savage – Good Good
Victoria Monét – On My Mama

Best Alternative

WINNER: Benson Boone – Beautiful Things
Bleachers – Tiny Moves
Hozier – Too Sweet
Imagine Dragons – Eyes Closed
Linkin Park – Friendly Fire
Teddy Swims – Lose Control (Live)

Best Rock

Bon Jovi – Legendary
Coldplay – Feelslikeimfallinginlove
Green Day – Dilemma
Kings of Leon – Mustang
WINNER: Lenny Kravitz – Human
U2 – Atomic City

Best Latin

WINNER: Anitta – Mil Veces
Bad Bunny – Monaco
Karol G – Mi Ex Tenía Razón
Myke Towers – Lala
Peso Pluma & Anitta – Bellakeo
Rauw Alejandro – Touching the Sky
Shakira & Cardi B – Puntería

Best Afrobeats

WINNER: Ayra Starr Featuring Giveon – Last Heartbreak Song
Burna Boy – City Boys
Chris Brown Featuring Davido and Lojay – Sensational
Tems – Love Me JeJe
Tyla – Water
Usher & Pheelz – Ruin

Best K-Pop

Jung Kook Featuring Latto – Seven
WINNER: Lisa – Rockstar
NCT Dream – Smoothie
NewJeans – Super Shy
Stray Kids – Lalalala
Tomorrow X Together – Deja Vu

Video for Good

Alexander Stewart – If You Only Knew
WINNER: Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? (From the Motion Picture “Barbie”)
Coldplay – Felslikeimfallinginlove
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – Best for Me
Raye – Genesis
Tyler Childers – In Your Love

Best Direction

Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Bleachers – Tiny Moves
Eminem – Houdini
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Sabrina Carpenter – Please Please Please
WINNER: Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Best Cinematography

WINNER: Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Charli XCX – Von Dutch
Dua Lipa – Illusion
Olivia Rodrigo – Obsessed
Rauw Alejandro – Touching the Sky
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Best Editing

Anitta – Mil Veces
Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Eminem – Houdini
Lisa – Rockstar
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso
WINNER: Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Best Choreography

Bleachers – Tiny Moves
WINNER: Dua Lipa – Houdini
Lisa – Rockstar
Rauw Alejandro – Touching the Sky
Tate McRae – Greedy
Troye Sivan – Rush

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande – The Boy Is Mine
WINNER: Eminem – Houdini
Justin Timberlake – Selfish
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Olivia Rodrigo – Get Him Back!
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Best Art Direction

Charli XCX – 360
Lisa – Rockstar
WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Olivia Rodrigo – Bad Idea Right?
Sabrina Carpenter – Please Please Please
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight

Best Trending Video

Beyoncé – Texas Hold ’Em
Camila Cabello Featuring Playboi Carti – I Luv It
Chappell Roan – Hot to Go!
Charli XCX – Apple
WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Yuki Chiba – Mamushi
Tinashe – Nasty

Best Group

Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
NCT Dream
NewJeans
*NSync
WINNER: Seventeen
Tomorrow X Together
Twenty One Pilots

Song of the Summer, Presented by Hilton

Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Benson Boone – Beautiful Things
Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Chappell Roan – Good Luck Babe!
Charli XCX & Billie Eilish – Guess Featuring Billie Eilish
Eminem – Houdini
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar – Like That
Glorilla & Megan Thee Stallion – Wanna Be
Hozier – Too Sweet
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen – I Had Some Help
Sabrina Carpenter – Please Please Please
Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy)
SZA – Saturn
WINNER: Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
Tommy Richman – Million Dollar Baby

VMAs Most Iconic Performance

Beyoncé – Love on Top
Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna & Missy Elliot – Like a Virgin / Hollywood
Eminem – The Real Slim Shady / The Way I Am
WINNER: Katy Perry – Roar
Lady Gaga – Paparazzi
Madonna – Like a Virgin
Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me