South African music sensation Tyla has clinched the award for Best Afrobeats at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), held on Sunday at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The 23-year-old star won the prestigious Moon Person trophy for her hit single Push 2 Start, marking her second consecutive victory in the category.
Tyla’s win was a significant achievement, as she edged out a highly competitive field dominated by Nigerian heavyweights. Nominees in the Best Afrobeats category included Asake and Travis Scott for Active, Burna Boy featuring Travis Scott for TaTaTa, Rema for Baby (Is It A Crime), Tems featuring Asake for Get It Right, Wizkid featuring Brent Faiyaz for Piece of My Heart, and Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, and Shenseea for Shake It to the Max (Fly) [Remix].
Although Push 2 Start missed out in the Best Choreography category, Tyla’s Afrobeats win solidified her growing reputation on the global stage. The track’s infectious rhythm and genre-blending production have drawn widespread acclaim, cementing Tyla as one of Africa’s most exciting musical exports. Her win follows her 2024 triumph in the same category for her breakthrough hit Water, making her the first artist to win Best Afrobeats at the VMAs two years in a row.
The 2025 MTV VMAs featured strong representation from African artists, but Tyla was the only winner from the continent. Nigerian singer Ayra Starr lost in the MTV Push Performance of the Year category, while Burna Boy missed out on the Video for Good award.
Despite the buzz surrounding African music, the night belonged largely to international pop superstars. Lady Gaga emerged as the biggest winner of the evening, taking home four awards including Artist of the Year, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, and Best Collaboration for Die With a Smile with Bruno Mars. Ariana Grande also enjoyed a successful night, winning three awards including the highly coveted Video of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead. Grande also took the stage to present the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award to pop icon Mariah Carey. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter continued her rise, picking up three awards, including Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet.
The ceremony also introduced new honorary categories that paid tribute to long-standing legends in the music industry. American rap pioneer Busta Rhymes received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, while Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin was honoured with the first-ever Latin Icon Award. Mariah Carey’s emotional acceptance of the Video Vanguard Award capped a night that celebrated both contemporary and legacy artists.
While Tyla’s win was widely celebrated by fans across Africa and beyond, it also revived ongoing debates about her relationship with the Afrobeats genre. The singer has previously made headlines for her shifting stance on how she identifies musically. At the 2024 VMAs, Tyla made waves when she distanced herself from Afrobeats, emphasizing her South African roots and her connection to Amapiano, a homegrown genre that blends deep house with jazz and log drum rhythms. However, in a March 2025 interview, she appeared to soften her position, stating that she is proud to be a global ambassador for both Afrobeats and Amapiano.
