Tyla wins big at the 2026 American Music Awards 

by Chumasande Matiwane
Tyla won at the 2026 American Music Awards.

South African pop star Tyla achieved two significant victories at the 2026 American Music Awards, becoming the only African artist to win at last night’s event. Tyla received awards for Best Afrobeats Artist and Social Song of the Year for her hit single CHANEL. Fans’ votes determined the outcome of the latter.

Also see: Tyla teases new release with surprise feature

Tyla beats big African artists

Our South African star won two out of her four nominations, continuing her rapid rise as one of the country’s and Africa’s biggest global music exports. In the Best Afrobeats Artist category, she beat heavyweight names including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, and Moliy.

These monumental wins came at the right time for Tyla, as she is currently gearing up to release her sophomore album in July. The awards are the perfect highlight that her momentum is heading in the right direction.

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Also see: Tyla’s ‘A*POP’ reaches major sales milestone ahead of album drop

Receiving four nominations is impressive, especially since she was also nominated for Best Female R&B Artist and Best Music Video. This demonstrates that Tyla can compete in major pop categories.

Getting such nominations is cementing her as one of the best pop stars of our generation.

It’s incredibly well-deserved as CHANEL has had a huge impact since dropping in October 2025. The catchy song has dominated global charts and pulled in more than 320 million Spotify streams.

Keeping that incredible energy going, Tyla was also nominated for two categories at the 2026 BET Awards, which will air in June. These nominations include Video of the Year, a historic nomination for her as an African artist, and Viewers’ Choice.

Also see: Tyla makes history with 2026 BET Awards nomination

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