Tyla Shines as Billboard’s Afrobeats Queen

South African sensation Tyla solidified her meteoric rise in global music by clinching two prestigious wins at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, held on December 12. The artist captured the spotlight in the fiercely competitive Afrobeats category, winning both Best Afrobeats Artist and Best Afrobeats Song for her chart-topping hit Water.

Tyla's dominance in 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary. Her song Water, bolstered by remixes featuring hip-hop titan Travis Scott, surged into the global top 10, carving out a place in the year’s most streamed tracks. With this latest recognition, Tyla successfully outpaced heavyweights Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems, further cementing her status as a global Afrobeats trailblazer.

The Billboard triumph crowns a historic year for the artist, who has also earned accolades at the Grammys, VMAs, and EMAs, making her one of the most celebrated African artists of all time. Fans and industry experts alike have hailed her unique blend of Afrobeats, pop, and R&B as a revolutionary force in reshaping the genre's global appeal.

While Tyla dominated the Afrobeats scene, the night also belonged to pop icon Taylor Swift, who broke records by becoming the most-awarded artist in Billboard Music Awards history. Swift added ten more trophies to her name, bringing her career total to a staggering 49 and surpassing Drake’s previous record of 39.

Other standout winners included Morgan Wallen, who claimed Top Male Artist and Top Country Artist, and Teddy Swims, whose Lose Control won Top Hot 100 Song and Top Radio Song. Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy) emerged as the Top Country Song and Top-Selling Song of the year, while Coldplay and Seventeen reaffirmed their global dominance in rock and K-pop categories, respectively.

For Tyla, the 2024 Billboard Music Awards serve as a powerful testament to the international resonance of Afrobeats and her pivotal role in its ongoing global expansion. With her trailblazing achievements, Tyla has not only captured the hearts of fans worldwide but also elevated African music onto the grandest stages of the entertainment industry.

As the curtains fall on 2024, one thing is clear: Tyla’s reign is far from over, and the world eagerly awaits her next groundbreaking move.