MTV VMA 2024: Best Afrobeats Artist Win Raises Questions After Tyla’s Amapiano Claim

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 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.