South Africa’s Tyla Wins Best Afrobeats At 2025 VMAs

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

South Africa’s Tyla Wins Best Afrobeats At 2025 VMAs

South African star Tyla made history on Sunday night after winning the Best Afrobeats award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) held in New York.

The award, one of the most anticipated categories of the night, saw Tyla triumph with her hit single Push 2 Start. She beat strong competition from other African nominees, including Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Ayra Starr, who left the event without any wins.

Although Tyla was also nominated in the Best Choreography category, she did not clinch that prize. Still, her Afrobeats victory marked a major milestone for South Africa in the fast-growing global genre.

Beyond Africa’s representation, the night belonged to American pop legend Lady Gaga, who was the biggest winner of the event. She took home four awards: Artist of the Year, Best Direction, Best Collaboration, and Best Art Direction.

The 2025 VMAs further highlighted the growing global recognition of Afrobeats, a genre dominated largely by Nigerian stars in recent years, but now seeing broader African participation with Tyla’s win.

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Chioma Ndukwu

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