Tyla Bags AMA Award but Renews Call to Recognize African Music Diversity

After winning the Afrobeats Artist of the Year award at the 51st Annual American Music Awards (AMAs), South African sensation Tyla made headlines once more. Although the victory was another significant event in her quick ascent, it also rekindled a debate Tyla has been vocal about: the propensity to oversimplify and lump all African music under the umbrella of Afrobeats.

Jennifer Lopez presided over the ceremony, which honored a variety of international artists and was held at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Alongside Nigerian heavyweights Rema, Wizkid, Asake, and R&B artist Tems—whose music at least has a definite Afrobeats influence—Tyla was nominated in the Afrobeats category.

Tyla has been named Favourite Afrobeats Artiste at the American Music Awards — making history as the first woman to win this award! pic.twitter.com/LBpdUP1T2x

— EmeverseTv (@emeversetv) May 27, 2025

However, Tyla’s genre is very different from Afrobeats. Her music embodies a unique cultural and sonic identity, influenced by the Amapiano sound of South Africa and infused with pop elements.

The “Water” hitmaker has previously addressed this matter. Tyla highlighted the diversity of African music in her acceptance speech after taking home a similar award at the MTV VMAs the previous year.

She remarked at the time, “It’s bittersweet.” “African music is more than just Afrobeats, but Afrobeats has opened many doors.”

“I’m from South Africa,” she added. I stand for my culture and for Amapiano. She also acknowledged the power and impact of Afrobeats on the international scene by respectfully nodding to the Nigerian musicians in her category.

Tyla’s remarks have reignited discussion regarding how African artists are categorized by international awards. Despite having African origins, genres such as Afrobeats and Amapiano have distinct nationalities, customs, and musical underpinnings.

By pushing boundaries and bringing attention to sounds outside of the West African realm, her breakthrough single “Water” has demonstrated that African music can flourish in mainstream pop.

Despite having ten nominations, Kendrick Lamar only took home one award from the 2025 American Music Awards: Favorite Hip-Hop Song for Not Like Us. Billie Eilish won both Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, dominating the evening with seven wins overall.

Even with the genre mislabeling, Tyla’s AMA success serves as a potent reminder of the progress made by African artists and the need for the industry to acknowledge their full range of talent.

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Sourced:The Citizen

Picture: Gauteng.net