South African pop sensation Tyla has made history by becoming the first South African artist to win a coveted MTV Video Music Award (VMA). She took home the award for Best Afrobeats at the 2024 VMAs, held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The recognition was for her chart-topping hit, “Water,” which has made massive waves worldwide.
The music video for “Water” has garnered over 230 million views on YouTube and close to 800 million streams on Spotify, solidifying Tyla’s status as a global phenomenon.
When Tyla stepped up to accept her award, she brought her usual charm and humor, joking about the weight of the trophy.
“You guys know me and holding awards, yoh hai. I’m not strong enough!” she quipped, before turning to Lil Nas X, who was standing beside Halle Bailey, and playfully asking him to hold her trophy.
In her heartfelt speech, Tyla expressed her gratitude to MTV, her fans (affectionately known as “Tygers”), her team, and God. She recognized the significance of her win not just for herself but for the entire continent:
“This is such a big moment for Africa [and] African music,” she said, as the audience cheered her on.
The Best Afrobeats category was introduced at the VMAs in 2023, with Rema and Selena Gomez as the inaugural winners. Tyla’s victory makes her the first solo act to claim the award, and she did not let the moment pass without addressing the impact of African music on the global stage.
“The global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too,” she emphasized.
While celebrating her win, Tyla also highlighted the richness and diversity of African music, particularly distinguishing Amapiano from Afrobeats:
“This is just so special, but also bittersweet because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats. Even though Afrobeats has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. I come from South Africa. I represent Amapiano, I represent my culture, and I want to shout out to all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me.”
She also paid tribute to fellow African artists, mentioning the likes of Tems, Ayra Starr, Lojay, Rema, Wizkid, and Burna Boy, before declaring: “Africa to the world.”
In addition to her Best Afrobeats triumph, Tyla was also nominated in the Best New Artist and Best R&B categories, further cementing her meteoric rise.
Main Image: People
