Tyla’s win marks her second victory in the category, following her 2024 win of the inaugural Best African Music Performance award for her global hit “Water”.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
South African star Tyla has won the Best African Music Performance award at the 68th Grammy Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, beating Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Davido, and Ayra Starr in the category.
She clinched the prize with her song “Push 2 Start”, ahead of Burna Boy’s “Love”, Davido’s “With You” featuring Omah Lay, Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s “Gimme Dat”, as well as Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin’s “Hope & Love”. Tyla’s win marks her second victory in the category, following her 2024 win of the inaugural Best African Music Performance award for her global hit “Water”, cementing her status as a dominant force in African music on the global stage.
In the Best Global Music Album category, Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness and Youssou N’Dour’s Eclairer Le Monde (Light The World) did not secure wins. African icon Angélique Kidjo also did not win for her cover of “Jerusalema” in the Best Global Music Performance category. Meanwhile, Nigerian-American artiste Shaboozey added to the African representation at the awards, winning ‘Best Country Duo/Group Performance’ for his single “Amen” alongside Jelly Roll.
In a historic moment for African music, legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy at the Special Merit Awards on Saturday, January 31st. The recognition makes Fela the first African artiste to ever receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. The award was accepted by his children: Femi Kuti, Yeni, Kunle, and Shalewa. In his acceptance speech, Femi said, “Thank you for bringing our father here. It’s so important for us, it’s so important for Africa, it’s so important for world peace and the struggle”.
The night witnessed celebrations of both established excellence and historic recognition, as African artistes continued to shape the global music landscape at one of the industry’s most prestigious ceremonies.
See the complete winners’ list here.