The 24-year-old South African singer, Tyla, has secured a repeat win, beating Nigerian stars Davido, Burna Boy and Ayra Starr in the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
Tyla clinched the Best African Music Performance award with her hit track “Push 2 Start,” edging out a strong lineup of nominees, including Burna Boy’s “Love,” Davido featuring Omah Lay’s “With You,” Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid’s “Gimme Dat,” and Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin with “Hope & Love.”
The victory marks a significant milestone in Tyla’s career, making her the first artist to win the Best African Music Performance award twice since the category was introduced in 2024.
Mixed reactions trail Tyla’s Grammy win
For many Nigerians, Tyla’s victory was met with disappointment. Despite strong fan support and chart-topping hits from Nigerian nominees, none of the country’s stars managed to secure the award, sparking debates about African music representation at the Grammys.
Fans took to social media to express their views. On Instagram, @Goddessawele wrote, “Tyler’s songs don’t sound African and don’t reflect African originality or culture. Nothing in her music truly represents Afrobeats or African musical roots, yet the Grammys keep rewarding her in African categories. Africans should be the ones nominating and voting for African music, not outsiders who don’t fully understand the sound, the history, or the genre. This isn’t hate toward her as an artist; it’s about authenticity and fairness. Davido clearly deserved the award. His music represents Africa, the culture, and the global impact of Afrobeats, no debate.”
Similarly, @KOBAZZIE added: “Davido is the best African artist ever. How is the @grammys giving awards for African songs but doesn’t get the opinion of Africans.”
Others acknowledged Tyla’s international appeal. @Bimbola25 noted on X, “Tyla makes music for the American market so it is understandable why she won.”
Meanwhile, @SirLeoBDasilva on X, offered perspective on Grammy voting, “Nigerians are not ready to play Grammy politics. It has never been about popularity or which song is the best or album is the best. If it was 50 Cent will never lose out on best new Artist to Evanescence after selling 12 million copies. It’s about the voters and their preference.”
While Tyla celebrates her win, the question of whether the award category truly reflects the diversity and authenticity of African music lingers.
