South African singer Tyla won two awards at the 2026 American Music Awards held in Las Vegas on Monday, May 25.
The 24-year-old artist received the award for Social Song of the Year for her single “CHANEL” and also won Best Afrobeats Artist. The ‘Water’ singer was nominated in four categories at the awards ceremony, including Best Female R&B Artist and Best Music Video.
Tyla’s “CHANEL” won ahead of songs by PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson, ROLE MODEL, and a collaboration by Disco Lines and Tinashe.
In the Best Afrobeats Artist category, Tyla beat Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema, as well as Ghanaian singer Moliy.
Nigerians on social media have expressed divided opinions after South African singer Tyla won the Best Afrobeats Artist prize at the 2026 American Music Awards in Las Vegas.
Some users congratulated Tyla on her achievement and praised her international rise, while others questioned why she was included in an Afrobeats category.
Broadcaster Do2dtun said the result revealed how the genre is perceived outside Africa.
“My take on Tyla winning the American Music Awards,” he wrote on X. “Americans wanted this to have a different meaning and interpretation.”
Several Nigerian users argued that Tyla’s music is more closely linked to South Africa’s Amapiano sound than Afrobeats.
“Tyla is not an afrobeat artist,” one user wrote.
Another said, “Tyla beating Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Rema for Best Afrobeats Artist is weird.”
Others defended the singer, saying her success is due to her growing global popularity.
“Well, can’t say she didn’t deserve it,” one user posted.
The singer has become one of Africa’s fastest-rising music stars following the global success of her 2023 hit Water.
“CHANEL” was released in October 2025 and has recorded more than 320 million streams on Spotify.
