2025 VMAs: Wizkid, Burna Boy, Miss Out as Tyla Clinches ‘Best Afrobeats’ Award, Nigerians React
- Tyla, a South African songstress, has received the 'Best Afrobeats' title at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)
- She won the award over her Nigerian competitors like Burna Boy and Wizkid with her famous song Push 2 Start
- Tyla won the top Afrobeats award but lost in the 'Best Choreography' category and Nigerians reacted to the report
South African sensation Tyla has won the Best Afrobeats category at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards with her smash single PUSH 2 START.
Tyla's win on Monday morning marked another milestone in African music's growing global appeal, and she celebrated with followers on social media.
Source: Instagram
This achievement demonstrated African artists' expanding international recognition, as well as the continuous dominance of Afrobeats in global music trends.
Tyla's triumph joined several other African singers who received nominations this year, including Nigerian stars Asake, Burna Boy, Rema, Tems, and Ayra Starr.
Their presence in a variety of categories reflects the continent's growing position in the global music industry, establishing Africa as a vital factor in influencing contemporary pop and Afrobeats globally.
Below is the full list of winners across categories:
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga — WINNER
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
Alex Warren – ‘Ordinary’
Billie Eilish – ‘Birds of a Feather’
Doechii – ‘Anxiety’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Gracie Abrams – ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
Lorde – ‘What Was That’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’ — WINNER
Tate McRae – ‘Sports Car’
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – ‘Timeless’
Best New Artist
Alex Warren — WINNER
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The Marías
MTV Push Performance of the Year
Ayra Starr – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’
Damiano David – ‘Next Summer’
Dasha – ‘Bye Bye Bye’
Gigi Perez – ‘Sailor Song’
Jordan Adetunji – ‘Kehlani’
Katseye – ‘Touch’ — WINNER
Lay Bankz – ‘Graveyard’
Leon Thomas – ‘Yes It Is’
Livingston – ‘Shadow’
Mark Ambor – ‘Belong Together’
Role Model – ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’
Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’
Best Collaboration
Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs – ‘Backup Plan’ (Stagecoach Official Music Video)
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – ‘Luther’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’ — WINNER
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – ‘Pour Me a Drink’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – ‘Sunset Blvd’
Best Pop
Alex Warren – ‘Ordinary’
Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ — WINNER
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
Best Hip-Hop
Doechii – ‘Anxiety’ — WINNER
Drake – ‘Nokia’
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – ‘Somebody Save Me’
Glorilla ft. Sexyy Red – ‘Whatchu Kno About Me’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
LL Cool J ft. Eminem – ‘Murdergram Deux’
Travis Scott – ‘4×4’
Best Pop Artist
Ariana Grande
Charli XCX
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter — WINNER
Tate McRae
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ –WINNER
Billie Eilish – ‘Birds of a Feather’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – ‘Timeless’
Best R&B
Chris Brown – ‘Residuals’
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – ‘Mutt (Remix)’
Mariah Carey – ‘Type Dangerous’ –WINNER
PartyNextDoor – ‘No Chill’
Summer Walker – ‘Heart of a Woman’
SZA – ‘Drive’
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – ‘Timeless’
Best Alternative
Gigi Perez – ‘Sailor Song’
Imagine Dragons – ‘Wake Up’
Lola Young – ‘Messy’
MGK & Jelly Roll – ‘Lonely Road’
Sombr – ‘Back to Friends’ — WINNER
The Marías – ‘Back to Me’
Best Rock
Coldplay – ‘All My Love’ — WINNER
Evanescence – ‘Afterlife’
Green Day – ‘One Eyed Bastarrd’
Lenny Kravitz – ‘Honey’
Linkin Park – ‘The Emptiness Machine’
Twenty One Pilots – ‘The Contract’
Source: Instagram
Best Latin
Bad Bunny – ‘Baile Inolvidable’
J Balvin – ‘Rio’
Karol G – ‘Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido’
Peso Pluma – ‘La Patrulla’
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – ‘Khé?’
Shakira – ‘Soltera’ — WINNER
Best K-Pop
Aespa – Whiplash’
Jennie – ‘Like Jennie’
Jimin – ‘Who’
Jisoo – ‘Earthquake’
Lisa ft. Doja Cat & Raye – ‘Born Again’ — WINNER
Stray Kids – ‘Chk Chk Boom’
Rosé – ‘Toxic Till the End’
Best Afrobeats
Asake & Travis Scott – ‘Active’
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – ‘TaTaTa’
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – ‘Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)’
Rema – ‘Baby (Is It A Crime)’
Tems ft. Asake – ‘Get It Right’
Tyla – ‘Push 2 Start’ — WINNER
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – ‘Piece of My Heart’
Best Country
Chris Stapleton – ‘Think I’m in Love With You’
Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood – ‘I’m Gonna Love You’
Jelly Roll – ‘Liar’
Lainey Wilson – ‘4x4xU’
Megan Moroney – ‘Am I Okay?’ — WINNER
Morgan Wallen – ‘Smile’
Best Album
Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘GNX’
Lady Gaga – ‘Mayhem’
Morgan Wallen – ‘I’m the Problem’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Short n’ Sweet’ — WINNER
The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
Best Long Form Video
Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ — WINNER
Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’
Damiano David – ‘Funny Little Stories’
Mac Miller – ‘Balloonerism’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Something Beautiful’
The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
Video for Good
Burna Boy – ‘Higher’
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish — WINNER
Doechii – ‘Anxiety’
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – ‘Somebody Save Me’
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – ‘Younger and Hotter Than Me’
Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – ‘Sleepwalking’
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ — WINNER
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ — WINNER
Lorde – ‘Man of the Year’
Miley Cyrus – ‘End of the World’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.
Nigerians react to Tyla's VMA win
Legit.ng compiled the reactions below:
he_is_him113 said:
"Nahhhhh this is crazyyyy!!! Lmao."
dhybrid21 said:
"How is dis possible 4 God sake."
owenalex117 saiad:
"Industry plant has done it again... using pop songs to win afrobeat awards."
tweezy_mafia said:
"INDUSTRY PLANT 😂."
viviphar_ said:
"Pretty girl from Joburg 🔥🙌😍."
first_greatness said:
"This girl don loyal Lizkid 🦎 twice now 😂😂😂 Them don move on from to Dey dash Wizmid award wey the mumu no deserve to this girl now 😂😂😂 Fatherless children don Dey feel the pain."
ilesanmi.dammy said:
"Our artists say no need to push their project anymore, naso wiz take waste 2 solid without any solid pr."
Ayra Starr makes history at MOBO Awards
Earlier, Legit.ng reported Ayra Starr made history as the first woman in 16 years to win Best African Music Act at the 2025 MOBO Awards.
Her feat broke the 16-year jinx as many female acts from Africa have been snubbed by this award. The Afro-pop singer was in the same category as South African Pop-piano superstar Tyla, American artists Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion, and two-time Grammy winner Tems
With her achievement, Ayra Starr (2025) joined Wizkid (2017, 2021) and Burna Boy (2020, 2022) as the only Nigerian artists to have won the MOBO Award for Best International Act.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
