South African music sensation Tyla claimed the Afrobeats award for her viral hit ‘Water’ on Wednesday at MTV’s Video Music Awards, marking another milestone achievement for the music category.
Tyla triumphed in the Best Afrobeats category, standing out among a talented lineup of Nigerian artists including Burna Boy, Tems, Davido, and Ayra Starr.
After being presented with her award by Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey, Tyla expressed her gratitude to the organisers of the show and described her win as “a big moment for Africa”.
“The global impact that Water’ had on the world just proved that African music can be pop music too. Like this is just so special but also bittersweet, because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats,” She added. “African music is so diverse, it’s more than just Afrobeats.”
Tyla’s win follows the success of Rema, who took home the inaugural Best Afrobeats award last year for his hit song “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez.
Tyla concluded by expressing love and appreciation for the other Afrobeats musicians nominated in the category, stating, “I love you guys.”
Tyla continues to make headlines in the music industry with her achievements, having already won a Grammy for Best African Music Performance and a BET Award for Best New Artist.
