Tyla emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 2026 American Music Awards after clinching the Best Afrobeats Artist award.
South African singer Tyla emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 2026 American Music Awards after clinching the Best Afrobeats Artist award ahead of Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema, as well as Ghanaian-American act MOLIY.
The ceremony was broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+, with winners determined largely through fan voting.
Tyla also won the Social Song of the Year award for her hit track “Chanel”. The latest victories mark her second consecutive win in the Best Afrobeats Artist category, following her triumph at the 2025 edition.
The singer, widely recognised for merging amapiano, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats influences into what she describes as “popiano”, has continued to dominate international award platforms despite ongoing conversations around genre classification.
Her latest win has again sparked debate among some music fans over whether her sound fits strictly within the Afrobeats category. However, others have described the recognition as another major milestone for African music on the global stage.
In previous interviews, Tyla has maintained that she represents African music broadly while proudly promoting her South African amapiano roots. She has also advocated for wider recognition of different African genres beyond the umbrella Afrobeats label.
The singer has enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years, earning Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance for “Water” in 2024 and “Push 2 Start” in 2026. Her self-titled debut album also received widespread international acclaim.
Other notable winners at the 2026 AMAs included K-pop acts and surprise results. BTS won Artist of the Year, while KATSEYE swept all three of its nominations, including New Artist of the Year. Despite leading with eight nominations, Taylor Swift failed to win any awards.
Other major winners included Sabrina Carpenter, who won Album of the Year for Man’s Best Friend, and HUNTR/X, whose song “Golden” earned Song of the Year. Tyla won Social Song of the Year and Best Afrobeats Artist, while Cardi B and Bruno Mars dominated the hip-hop and R&B categories.
In other genres, Morgan Wallen, Bad Bunny, and Shakira took top country and Latin honours. Indie artist Sombr also stood out with three wins in the rock and alternative categories.
Bad Bunny
Bruno Mars
WINNER: BTS
Harry Styles
Justin Bieber
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year
Alex Warren
Ella Langley
WINNER: KATSEYE
Leon Thomas
Olivia Dean
Sombr
Album of the Year
Cardi B – AM I THE DRAMA?
