Tyla Wins the Best Afrobeats Song at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards

Tyla, the rising South African Afrobeats star, has achieved an incredible milestone, securing three nominations in the Top Afrobeats Song category for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards. The full list of nominees has been revealed, and Tyla’s nominations have sparked excitement across the music industry, especially given the unexpected nature of some selections.

Tyla’s nominations include Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Female Artist, and Top Afrobeats Artist, making her one of the most recognized new talents in 2024. Her debut album, Tyla, released on March 22, 2024, has clearly resonated with fans and critics alike, and it has propelled her into the global spotlight.

In the Top Afrobeats Song category, Tyla leads the charge with three of her tracks: Water, Truth or Dare, and Jump. These songs have become hits globally, with Water in particular making waves on various international charts. Tyla’s success continues with recognition alongside other major Afrobeats artists like Tems, who is also nominated for Me & U, and Adam Port & Stryv featuring Malachiii for Move.

This remarkable achievement comes after Tyla’s win at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in the Best Afrobeats Song category for Water. Her win at the VMAs, held on September 11, 2024, at The USB Arena in New York, solidified her as a powerful figure in the Afrobeats scene. During her acceptance speech for the Moonperson, Tyla highlighted the global influence of her music, stating, “The global impact of ‘Water’ shows that African music can be pop music too.”

Other notable songs nominated in the Top Afrobeats Song category include Ayra Starr’s Last Heartbreak Song, Chris Brown’s Sensational featuring Lojay and Davido, Usher’s Ruin featuring Pheelz, and Tems’ Love Me Jeje. Tyla’s multiple nominations mark her as a significant force in both the Afrobeats and global music scenes, underscoring the increasing international recognition of African music and its ability to transcend genres.

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