Tyla stuns with her speech after winning Best Afrobeats Artiste at the VMAs.
On Nigerian social media, MTV Base‘s recent declaration of Tyla as the Best Afrobeats Artist of 2024 at the MTV Video Music Awards has generated a contentious discussion.
Top Nigerian musicians including Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Wizkid, and Davido were beaten by the South African singer’s song “Water” to take the number one spot.
As this was going on, Tyla unexpectedly went to the stage to accept her award and informed the show’s organizers of the error. She made it clear that she is not an Afrobeats artist, but rather a singer from South Africa. Rather, she associates with the Amapiano style, a uniquely South African musical identity.
In a kind gesture, Tyla also thanked the Nigerian musicians she defeated to take home the trophy. Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Lojay, and Pheelz received special recognition from her. But Tyla has previously defeated Nigerian musicians to win an award. She had previously won the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance of 2024.
Tyla’s victory and acceptance speech started a discussion about genre labels and how African music is portrayed around the world. Some rejoice over her win, while others criticize the standards that were applied in choosing the Best Afrobeats artist. Last but not least, there will undoubtedly be more discussion, and everyone is excited to see where this story goes next.
Tyla stuns with her speech after winning Best Afrobeats Artiste at the VMAs.
