Tyla Wins 2025 AMA Afrobeats Award

Tyla's victory at the American Music Awards (AMA), which took place at the luxury resort Fontainebleau Las Vegas on the significant event of the U.S.' Memorial Day, represents another milestone in Afrobeats' global ascent. With African stars increasingly snagging prizes at the Grammys and other prestigious events, the movement continues to gain respect from the industry's esteemed institutions. The 'Favorite Afrobeats Artists' category raised the stakes of an entire continent and audience, withWizkid, Rema, Asake, andTems also nominated in this exciting category, each having had a remarkable year.

The inevitable name on the list was Wizkid, the first winner of the category upon its inception in 2022. Having delivered the sprawling Afropop masterpieceMorayolate last year, other important awards shows have recognized the Nigerian icon, winning Best International Act and Album of the Year at the Icelandic-hosted Grapevine Awards. Collaborations withAyra Starr ("Gimme Dat") andOlamide("Kai!") have also been favorably received, making him one of the more visible Afrobeats acts right now.

Rema and Asake both released important albums in the past year. Asake's reception of the 2025 MOBO awards for Best African Act and his nomination for the Brit Awards' Best International Act — where he was the only African artist nominated — significantly improved his credentials. Following his departure from YBNL and the establishment of his own Giran Republic label, the maverick appears to be embracing more Western aesthetics and spaces, positioning himself as a strong contender for these awards.

With Tyla also nominated for the 'Favorite Female R&B Artiste category,' and given her stellar record of snagging international awards, she proved to be the obvious favorite for the Afrobeats category. Her strongest challengers were Asake and Tems. Due to her sound, Tems has had the benefit of appealing to American audiences quite early in her career. At this point, she and Tyla are viewed as part of US popular culture, and this tipped the scales in Tyla's favor, considering that the AMAs — unlike the Grammys — are determined by a poll of music buyers rather than select individuals within the industry.

However, the fact that the majority of these awards are named "Afrobeats" awards again raises the question of genre classification, as Tyla has previously stated that her genre is amapiano rather than Afrobeats.

It remains to be seen whether these international award organizers will continue to group African artists under one Afrobeats umbrella or if they'll take note of the likes of Tyla, who have asked for broader representation. In the meantime, it remains quite divisive to see these awards going to artists who don't fit the Afrobeats genre tag, leading to larger questions about the politics of representation and who these awards ultimately benefit.