South African singer Tyla has clinched the Best Afrobeats Video award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).
The ceremony, held on September 7, 2025, at the UBS Arena in New York, marked her second VMA victory, this time for the music video of Push 2 Start.
Styled with an early 2000s aesthetic reminiscent of Beyoncé and Rihanna’s visuals, the video has drawn praise for its nostalgic yet contemporary appeal.
Tyla triumphed over nominees including Asake, Rema, Tems, and Wizkid. Her win, however, has reignited debates about genre classification, with critics questioning her placement in the Afrobeats category. Tyla has consistently identified as an Amapiano artiste, saying at last year’s VMAs:
“Even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It is more than just Afrobeats. I come from South Africa. I represent Amapiano. I represent my culture.”
Commercially, Push 2 Start debuted at No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Gold certification from the RIAA. The single also peaked at No. 1 on both the UK Afrobeats Singles chart and the US Afrobeats Songs chart.
The 2025 VMAs expanded categories to include Best Country and Best Pop Artist, part of the organizers’ effort at broader representation. Among the night’s major winners were Ariana Grande (Video of the Year, Best Pop), Katseye (Push Performance of the Year), Lady Gaga (Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration), Sabrina Carpenter (Best Album), and Sombr (Best Alternative).
Special honors went to Mariah Carey (Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award), Busta Rhymes (Rock the Bells Visionary Award), and Ricky Martin (Latin Icon Award). Performances by Carpenter, Carey, Martin, Gaga, Doja Cat, Tate McRae, Sombr, and Conan Gray highlighted the evening, alongside a rock tribute led by Yungblud, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Nuno Bettencourt in memory of Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July 2025.
View the list of 2025 VMA winners here.
