MTV Base’s announcement of Tyla as the Best Afrobeats artist of 2024 at the MTV Video Music Awards (2024 VMAs) has ignited a heated conversation on Nigerian social media. The South African singer’s hit song Water took the top spot, beating heavyweights like Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Wizkid, and Davido. This surprising win has since raised questions about genre classification, the representation of African music globally, and what it means for Afrobeats in particular.
Tyla, known for her energetic fusion of pop and African sounds, took to the stage with grace but wasted no time correcting the show organisers. In her acceptance speech, Tyla clarified that she is not an Afrobeats artist. Instead, she identifies with Amapiano, a uniquely South African genre. “I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists as Afrobeats,” Tyla said. “Even though Afrobeats has run things and opened doors for us, African music is so diverse,“
The votes are IN, and @Tyllaaaaaaa is the #VMAs winner for Best Afrobeats 👏 pic.twitter.com/xa2URrErlq
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 12, 2024
The win also saw Tyla graciously acknowledge the Nigerian artists she surpassed for the award. She gave a shoutout to Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Lojay, and Pheelz, a move that was welcomed by some as a nod of respect to the artists who continue to define the Afrobeats sound globally. However, Tyla’s choice to distance herself from the Afrobeats label stirred controversy, especially among Nigerian fans and industry insiders.
The debate centres around Tyla’s decision to accept an award in a category she doesn’t align with musically. Media and On Air Personality Do2tun voiced his frustration on Instagram, saying, “Aunty @tyla aka ‘I am not Afrobeats, I am Amapiano.’ We have heard you, but your song ‘Water’ isn’t Amapiano either. If you thought you were categorized in the wrong category, you should have given the award back or denounced the nomination. You clearly took an award that didn’t represent you or your sound from that statement you made.”
Industry stakeholders like Ayo Shonaiya, Chinasa Anukam, Adeayo Adebiyi and others had one or two things to say on Elon Musk’s X(formerly Twitter) about Tyla’s comments.
Tyla is fighting for Amapiano recognition while receiving an Afrobeats award.
— Ovie (@OvieO) September 12, 2024
That’s okay.
Afrobeats stars were fighting for Afrobeats recognition while receiving “World Music” awards.
Time and season. https://t.co/4rYPeto3w3
Everyone saw this issue coming and talked about the dangers of this generic labeling of African music. But giving water an “Afrobeats” award is giving me headache. This is not Tyla’s fault at all though and she kept it very cute & respectful, considering. https://t.co/xg9nhVCwX6
— OriginalBabyGirl (@chinasa_anukam) September 12, 2024
Exactly. That’s why Tyla is winning “Afrobeats” award but denying it on stage while she’s collecting the award. Me I blame ourselves for focusing on what to call our thing, that we let foreign awards define what is Afrobeats or not for us. I get you bro 👊🏾
— Ayo Shonaiya (@AyoShonaiya) September 12, 2024
What a cheeky acceptance speech.
— ADEAYO (@ade_adeayo) September 12, 2024
“Thank you Afrobeats for opening the doors & paving the way for me, but I’m not one of you”
To think the song is ostensibly Afrobeats.
Well, if you don’t value what is yours who are you to demand respect from others?
Shout out to everybody.
The crux of the issue lies in how African music is categorised, particularly by global award shows. Tyla’s Water has dominated the award season, previously winning Best African Song Performance at the 66th Grammys, and now fending off stiff competition at the VMAs. At the event on September 11, 2024, held at The USB Arena in New York, Tyla’s song triumphed over Ayra Starr’s Last Heartbreak Song, Chris Brown’s Sensational featuring Lojay and Davido, Usher’s Ruin featuring Pheelz, and Tems’ Love Me Jeje to secure the coveted Best Afrobeats award.
Despite the accolades, Tyla’s victory has opened a wider discussion about genre classification and representation in African music. For many Nigerian fans and artists, Afrobeats is more than just a genre—it’s a cultural movement that has gained immense global recognition. Tyla’s reluctance to be labelled as an Afrobeats artist, while still accepting an award in that category, was seen by some as a disavowal of the genre’s influence on her success. Others, however, argue that this moment highlights the broader problem of how Western institutions often lump diverse African sounds into one genre.
As Tyla continues to rise in global prominence, her success, paired with her statement at the VMAs, shines a spotlight on the need for a more nuanced understanding of African music. Water may not fit neatly into one category, blending elements of both Afrobeats and Amapiano, but Tyla’s choice to identify with Amapiano reveals the complexities of how African artists want their music to be represented on the world stage.
With Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Tems continuing to push Afrobeats into mainstream consciousness, the question remains—how will the global music industry evolve in its understanding and categorisation of African music? Tyla’s VMAs win and her subsequent statement have reignited this discussion, and it’s likely the debate will continue to evolve as African genres become more integrated into global music culture.
