South African sensation Tyla made history at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), winning Best Afrobeats for her chart-topping hit Water. The prestigious event, held at the UBS Arena in New York on September 11, 2024, saw Tyla claim her first VMA and take the opportunity to shed light on the diverse sounds of African music.
In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Tyla expressed pride in her win but emphasized that Africa’s musical landscape extends far beyond the popular Afrobeats genre. “African music is incredibly diverse—it’s more than just Afrobeats,” she told the audience. “This is a huge moment for Africa, and I hope the world starts to appreciate all the sounds coming from our continent.”
Tyla beat out fellow nominees Burna Boy, Tems, Davido, Ayra Starr, Lojay, and Pheelz in a highly competitive category. Her victory follows in the footsteps of Nigerian star Rema, who won the inaugural Best Afrobeats award in 2023 with his hit Calm Down.
The night was dominated by Taylor Swift, who took home seven awards, including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for Fortnight featuring Post Malone. Other notable winners included SZA for Best R&B with Snooze and Eminem for Best Hip-Hop with Houdini.
Tyla’s win is a testament to the global rise of African artists, showcasing the continent’s rich musical diversity to an international audience.
Full List of 2024 VMAs Winners:
- Video of the Year:
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – Fortnight - Artist of the Year:
Taylor Swift - Song of the Year:
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso - Best New Artist:
Chappell Roan - MTV Push Performance of the Year:
June 2024: LE SSERAFIM – Easy - Best Collaboration:
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – Fortnight - Best Pop:
Taylor Swift - Best Hip-Hop:
Eminem – Houdini - Best R&B:
SZA – Snooze - Best Alternative:
Benson Boone – Beautiful Things - Best Rock:
Lenny Kravitz – Human - Best Latin:
Anitta – Mil Veces - Best Afrobeats:
Tyla – Water - Best K-Pop:
LISA – Rockstar - Video For Good:
Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? (From the Motion Picture Barbie) - Best Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – Fortnight - Best Editing:
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – Fortnight - Best Choreography:
Dua Lipa – Houdini - Best Visual Effects:
Eminem – Houdini - Best Art Direction:
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa - Best Trending Video:
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Yuki Chiba – Mamushi - Best Group:
SEVENTEEN - Song of the Summer:
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – Fortnight - VMAs Most Iconic Performance:
Katy Perry – Roar - Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award:
Katy Perry
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