'Special, but also bittersweet': Tyla becomes first South African to win ...
South African singer-songwriter Tyla poses in the press room with the Best Afrobeats award for Water during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on 11 September 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP)
South African pop star Tyla won a 2024 MTV Video Music Award in the Best Afrobeats category on Wednesday at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
This makes her the first South African to win a VMA.
The singer won the award for her major hit Water. The music video has more than 230 million views on YouTube and almost 800 million streams on Spotify.
Accepting her award at the event, Tyla joked about the award being heavy.
"You guys know me and holding awards, yoh hai. I'm not strong enough," she said and asked Lil Nas X, who was standing next to Halle Bailey, to hold her trophy.
She thanked MTV, her fans (who she refers to as her Tygers), her team and God.
"This is such a big moment for Africa [and] African music," she said.
The Afrobeats category was first introduced to the VMAs in 2023 and was given to Rema and Selena Gomez. Tyla is the first solo act to win the award.
"The global impact that Water has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too," she continued.
Tyla added:
This is just so special, but also bittersweet because I know there's a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeat[s]. It's a thing, and even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse, it is more than just Afrobeats.
"I come from South Africa. I represent amapiano. I represent my culture, and I just want to shout out [to] all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me."
She mentioned Tems, Ayra Starr, Lojay, Rema, Wizkid, and Burna Boy and said: "Africa to the world."
The other artists in the Afrobeats category were Giveon (with Ayra Starr), Burna Boy, Chris Brown with Davido and Lojay, Tems, and Usher with Pheelz.
Tyla (L) accepts the award for Best Afrobeats for 'Water' from Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on 11 September 2024 in Elmont, New York. (Michael loccisano / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Tyla was also nominated in the Best New Artist and Best R&B categories.
Taylor Swift was the big winner at the event, bagging seven awards, including Video of the Year for Fortnight with Post Malone.
Sabrina Carpenter won Song of the Year, and Chappell Roan received the Best New Artist prize.
SZA, Eminem, Lenny Kravitz and Blackpink's Lisa were among the other winners.
Margaret Qualley, Taylor Swift, Suki Waterhouse and Tyla attend the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on 11 September 2024 in Elmont, New York. (John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV)
