MTV VMAs: Tyla lifts Afrobeats trophy but argues for Amapiano, African music diversity

Tyla’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards 2024 was a masterclass on assertiveness and eloquence punctuated with charming femininity.

When the South African singer received the Best Afrobeats award via her worldwide hit Water, she relished the milestone and noted the song’s global impact, arguing it was a testimony to the economic viability of African music marketed as pop music the world over.

Amidst applause from the audience, she bemoaned the inadequancy of the term Afrobeats, essentially West African pop music, adopted to describe the diverse music offerings of Africa.

Perhaps to clarify she was not on a sinister smear campaign, she recognised Afrobeats, and artistes working under its bold banner, had done legendary work to ensure artistes from all the cardinal points of Africa had a voice and could be heard in contemporary times globally, she being a proud beneficiary.

Tyla, however, doubled down – there is more than Afrobeats in Africa.

She called out her country’s name, the genre and culture she represented – Amapiano – and saluted her African brothers and sisters in the category she was crowned for.

“The global impact that water has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music, too.

“This is just so special but also bittersweet, because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats. 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’s more than just Afrobeats.

“I come from South Africa, I represent Amapiano. I represent my culture, and I just want to shout out all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me: Tems, Ayra Starr, Lojay, Rema, Wizkid, Burna Boy – all of us,” Tyla said.

“Love you, guys. Africa to the world,” she proclaimed, urging: “Stream my album, Tyla. And thank you again.”

Tyla’s Water was produced by Ghana’s Sammy Soso.

The 2024 MTV VMAs was hosted by US rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and was held at Long Island’s UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, Wednesday night, September 11. The year under review was June 22, 2023, and June 20, 2024.