The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) have sparked questions among fans after the newly announced nominations revealed that the Best Afrobeats category will not be part of this year’s ceremony.
The category, which was introduced only three years ago to acknowledge the growing international presence of African music, has disappeared from the 2026 nominations without an immediate explanation from MTV.
Since announcing this year’s nominees, the network has not released an official statement clarifying why the category was removed.
Best Afrobeats made its debut at the VMAs in 2023, at a time when Afrobeats was experiencing a significant surge in global popularity. Rema and Selena Gomez claimed the inaugural award with their international hit “Calm Down.”
The following two editions saw South African star Tyla take control of the category. She won in 2024 with “Water” before securing the award again in 2025 for “Push 2 Start.”
The decision to remove the category comes as Afrobeats continues to enjoy strong international visibility and influence. African artists have still appeared among the 2026 nominees, with Burna Boy earning a Best Collaboration nomination for his work with Shakira, while Tems received recognition in the Best R&B category.
However, the absence of a dedicated Afrobeats award has generated debate about how the VMAs intend to represent the genre going forward, particularly given its growing presence in mainstream global music.
Best Rock Also Removed
Afrobeats is not the only genre-specific category to disappear from this year’s nominations.
MTV has also eliminated the Best Rock category, which has appeared in different forms at the VMAs since 1989. Rock performers will instead compete under the broader Best Alternative classification.
The changes could point towards an effort by MTV to consolidate several genre-specific awards into wider categories, although the network has yet to confirm whether that is the reason behind the restructuring.
For now, the removal of Best Afrobeats has left fans and observers questioning why a category created to reflect the genre’s international rise has been discontinued at a time when African music continues to make significant strides globally.