Tyla says she represents Amapiano after winning Afrobeats category at 2024 VMAs

After accepting the Best Afrobeats Award at the 2024 VMAs for her hit single ‘Water’, Tyla expressed her gratitude for winning the category while also pointedly deciding to offer the organisers a crash course on muddling up all music from Africa as Afrobeats.

“I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists as Afrobeats. Even though Afrobeats has run things and opened doors for us, African music is so diverse,” Tyla said.

“I come from South Africa and I represent Amapiano and my culture,” Tyla added before shouting out to Rema, Tems, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Wikzid, Davido, and other Afrobeats acts with whom she was nominated.

Tyla’s acceptance speech has attracted some criticism from Nigerian observers who questioned her decision to largely disavow the Afrobeats after winning an Afrobeats category with a song that’s clearly Afrobeats in its composition.

Media personality and award-winning OAP Do2tun criticised the South African star for accepting the Afrobeats award at the 2024 VMAs if she thought her song wasn’t an Afrobeats song.

“Aunty @tyla aka am not Afrobeats, I am Amapiano. We have heard you but your song “Water” isn’t amapiano either. If you thought you were categorized in the wrong category, you should have given the award back or denounced the nomination. You clearly took an award that didn’t represent you or your sound from that statement you made,” Do2tun said on his Instagram account.