Tyla used one of her biggest global award moments to make an important statement about African music, proudly identifying with amapiano and South African culture while paying tribute to the Afrobeats stars who have helped take African sounds to the world.
When the South African superstar took home the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats for her global smash “Water” at the 2024 VMAs, the victory was historic.
But it was Tyla’s acceptance speech that generated almost as much conversation as the award itself.
Rather than simply celebrating the win, the South African singer used the international stage to challenge the tendency to place different African sounds under one broad musical label.
“I come from South Africa and I represent amapiano and my culture.”
Her message was clear: while African music continues to gain unprecedented international attention, the continent’s musical identity cannot be reduced to Afrobeats alone.
Tyla: African music is bigger than Afrobeats
Tyla acknowledged the enormous contribution Afrobeats has made to the global rise of African music.
She praised the genre for opening doors for artists from across the continent, while stressing that Africa has a diverse collection of musical traditions, genres and cultures.
That distinction was particularly significant because Tyla had just won an award carrying the Best Afrobeats label despite identifying her own music primarily with amapiano.
Her argument was not that Afrobeats should receive less recognition. Instead, she wanted the international music industry to recognise the different sounds coming from different parts of Africa.
Amapiano, which emerged from South Africa’s townships, has developed into a global movement of its own, with its log drums, infectious grooves and distinctive production becoming increasingly influential around the world.
A shout-out to Afrobeats royalty
Despite making her position on genre classification clear, Tyla made a point of showing respect to the Nigerian and African artists competing alongside her.
She gave shout-outs to Tems, Ayra Starr, Lojay, Rema, Wizkid and Burna Boy, acknowledging the artists who have helped build the international profile of African music.
That part of her speech was important because the moment could easily have been interpreted as a rivalry between amapiano and Afrobeats.
Instead, Tyla framed it as a conversation about representation.
Her message was essentially that African artists can celebrate one another while still demanding recognition for their individual musical identities.
‘Africa to the world’
Tyla’s VMA victory marked a major milestone for South African music.
“Water” had already become a global phenomenon, helping push amapiano-influenced sounds into mainstream pop audiences. The song’s international success demonstrated that a distinctly South African musical identity could compete on some of the world’s biggest stages.
Tyla’s closing message — “Africa to the world” — captured the bigger picture.
The continent’s music industry is no longer being represented by a single sound.
From Nigeria’s Afrobeats to South Africa’s amapiano, Ghanaian highlife and hiplife influences, East African sounds and countless regional musical traditions, Africa’s musical landscape is extraordinarily diverse.
Tyla’s VMA wins continued
The conversation did not end with “Water.”
Tyla returned to the VMAs in 2025 and won Best Afrobeats again, this time for “Push 2 Start,” defeating a field that included major names such as Burna Boy, Rema, Tems, Wizkid and other international artists.
That second victory further cemented her position as one of the biggest global ambassadors for South African music.
Interestingly, the Best Afrobeats category was later dropped from the 2026 MTV VMAs after three years, meaning Tyla’s back-to-back victories remain an important part of the category’s short history.
A bigger conversation about African identity
Tyla’s comments ultimately sparked a conversation that extends beyond one award.
As African music continues to dominate international charts, festivals and award ceremonies, questions around genre, identity and representation are becoming increasingly important.
For Tyla, celebrating amapiano does not mean rejecting Afrobeats.
It means recognising that Africa has more than one sound — and that every genre deserves the opportunity to stand on its own.
Her VMA speech therefore became more than an acceptance speech. It became a declaration of South African identity and a celebration of the continent’s musical diversity.
