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Tyla wins Best Afrobeats Artiste at VMAs, stirs controversy with acceptance speech
MTV Base’s announcement of South African singer Tyla as the Best Afrobeats Artist of 2024 at the MTV Video Music Awards has sparked widespread debate on Nigerian social media.
Tyla’s hit song “Water” triumphed over major Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Wizkid, and Davido to win the prestigious award.
However, during her acceptance speech, Tyla took the opportunity to correct the show organizers, clarifying that she is a South African artist who identifies with the Amapiano genre—a distinctly South African sound—rather than Afrobeats.
In a gracious gesture, Tyla acknowledged the Nigerian artists she surpassed, giving shoutouts to Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Lojay, and Pheelz. This marks the second time Tyla has outpaced Nigerian artists for an award, having previously won the Best African Music Performance of 2024 at the Grammys.
Her victory and comments have ignited discussions around the global classification of African music and the representation of genres like Afrobeats and Amapiano.
While some fans are celebrating her success, others are questioning the criteria used to determine the Best Afrobeats Artist. As the conversation continues, many are eagerly watching to see how this debate unfolds further.
The votes are IN, and @Tyllaaaaaaa is the #VMAs winner for Best Afrobeats 👏 pic.twitter.com/xa2URrErlq
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 12, 2024
In addition, Do2dtun took to Instagram to express his displeasure with Tyla’s remarks during her acceptance speech, where she emphasized the diversity of African music beyond Afrobeats. The OAP felt that her comment downplayed Afrobeats’ significance, especially during a moment meant to celebrate the genre’s global success