Best Afrobeats category removed from MTV VMAs following Tyla's record-breaking wins
MTV has eliminated the Best Afrobeats category from its Video Music Awards after South African artist Tyla's historic wins, sparking debate about the representation of African music genres.
MTV has eliminated the Best Afrobeats category from its Video Music Awards (VMAs) nominations after three years, following South African artist Tyla's back-to-back wins. Tyla claimed the MTV VMA for Best Afrobeats for her songs "Water" (2024) and "PUSH 2 START" (2025), becoming the first person to win the category twice. The category's removal is not the only change; MTV has dropped nine categories altogether for the 2026 ceremony.
This decision comes despite Tyla's enduring criticism of the Western industry's tendency to lump various African music styles into a single "Afrobeats" category, as she herself has previously argued. Despite the loss of the dedicated Afrobeats category, African artists such as Burna Boy, Tems, Burna Boy, and Tems have still managed to make a significant impact in major global genres.
Burna Boy is nominated for his collaboration with Shakira on "Dai Dai" for Best Collaboration and Best Latin. Tems secured one nomination for her collaboration with Dave on "Raindance." Meanwhile, Madonna holds the top spot with 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine. The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will be held live on September 27, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, airing on CBS and MTV, and streaming on Paramount+.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
