South African Pop Star Tyla Wins Best Afrobeats at 2025 MTV Video Music Awards
South African pop star Tyla has won the Best Afrobeats award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for her hit single "Push 2 Start." This win solidifies her position as one of Africa's top global stars. The MTV VMA awards, which predominantly celebrate female artists, took place at the UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, September 7. Tyla, a 23-year-old Grammy award winner, triumphed over Nigerian music stars such as Burna Boy, Tems, Rema, Asake, and Wizkid in the category.
This is Tyla's second win in the Best Afrobeats category, following her previous win in 2024 with her track "Water." Despite securing the top Afrobeats honor, Tyla missed out on the Best Choreography category where her song "Push 2" was nominated. The big winners of the night included Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter, who took home multiple awards at the event.
Lady Gaga, who dedicated her award to her fiancé Michael Polansky and her fans, known as the "Little Monsters," won four awards, including Artist of the Year. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received three awards, with Grande winning the night's top award for Best Video for "Brighter Days Ahead." Carpenter's wins included the new category for Best Pop Artist.
The event also recognized artists in various categories such as Song of the Year, Best Pop Artist, Best Collaboration, Best Hip-Hop, Best R&B, Best Alternative, Best Rock, Best Latin, Best K-pop, Best Country, Best Album, and more. Notable winners in these categories included Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Megan Moroney, Sabrina Carpenter, and The Weeknd.
In conclusion, the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards showcased the talent and achievements of artists across different genres, with Tyla emerging as the Best Afrobeats artist of the year. The event celebrated the diversity and creativity of the music industry, honoring artists who have made significant contributions to the global music scene.