South Africa's Tyla wins big at MTV EMAs

South African music sensation Tyla had a big night at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in Manchester, England. She took home three awards: Best Afrobeats, Best R&B, and Best African Act.

Tyla’s wins were a major accomplishment, especially since she’s a new artist competing with some of the biggest names in music.

Tyla’s performance at the Co-op Live arena was a highlight of the night. She sang her hit song “Water” with a group of dancers, delivering an energetic show that captured the audience. She also performed her latest track, “Push 2 Start,” giving fans a taste of her evolving style.

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During her acceptance speech for the Best Afrobeats award, Tyla thanked the Afrobeats genre for opening doors for African music.

“I’m so honored to be winning this award,” she said. “Afrobeats has opened so many doors for African music.”

Tyla’s win for Best R&B was especially surprising, as she beat out popular artists like Usher, SZA, and Kehlani.

Speaking about the win in a video posted on the EMAs’ Instagram account, she said, “I’m just as shocked as you guys… R&B is a huge influence on my music, especially Aaliyah. She’s one of my idols.”

Tyla paid tribute to Aaliyah by wearing a blue dress similar to the one Aaliyah wore at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

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While Tyla made waves with her triple win, Taylor Swift was the night’s biggest winner, taking home four awards, including Best Artist and Best Video.

British singer Rita Ora hosted the event and took a moment to remember her friend, Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who passed away in October.

Ora’s voice shook with emotion as she spoke of Payne, calling him “one of the kindest people I knew,” and asking the crowd to join her in a moment of remembrance.

Another major highlight of the night was the Global Icon Award, which went to hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes. British rapper Little Simz presented the award, celebrating Busta’s long career.

Accepting the award, Busta said it was his first MTV award in 34 years of recording and called it an “incredible” moment.