The African music world recently witnessed a highly anticipated awards ceremony, the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. This year’s edition saw South African artist Tyla win, beating Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Tems and Ayra Starr. The ceremony took place at the UBS Arena in Queens, New York, and was marked by both highlights and surprises.
After being presented with her award by Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey, Tyla expressed her gratitude to the event organizers and called her win “a huge moment for Africa.” She noted that the success of her track “Water” had a global impact and demonstrated that African music could also be pop music. She emphasized the diversity of African music, beyond the boundaries of Afrobeats.
Tyla’s win follows Rema’s success in the Best Afrobeats category the previous year for his track “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez. Afrobeat and Africa’s musical diversity have clearly taken center stage in the global music industry.
However, the night was dominated by Taylor Swift, who won seven awards, tying the record for most wins. Eminem also shone, winning the most awards in the male artist category.
The diversity of genres and artists honored at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards illustrates the richness and vitality of today’s music scene. Winners were honored in categories ranging from pop to hip-hop, R&B, alternative, rock, Latin, Afrobeat and many more.
The evening was an opportunity to celebrate the creativity and talent of artists from around the world, while highlighting the diversity of contemporary music. The MTV Video Music Awards continue to play a vital role in showcasing emerging and established artists, helping to enrich the global music scene.
Ultimately, music remains a universal language that transcends borders and brings people together. The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards have once again proven that music is a powerful force that unites and inspires, and that artist Tyla embodies the cultural and musical diversity that makes our world rich.