How Tyla Outshined Davido, Burna Boy, and Others to Claim Best African Music Performance at the Grammys

By Stacy Adunmi · Published February 5, 2026

LOS ANGELES, USA - At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards held on 1 February 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena, South African singer Tyla made history by winning the Best African Music Performance award for her track Push 2 Start, standing out against a star-studded lineup that included Nigerian icons Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr and others.

The win underscores Tyla’s growing global influence and marks a watershed moment for African artists on the world stage, as she becomes the first artist to win the Best African Music Performance Grammy twice since the category’s inception in 2024.(Wikipedia)

Tyla’s Breakthrough: From Johannesburg to Global Stage

Born Tyla Seethal, the 24-year-old singer has rapidly risen from local South African fame to international recognition. Her Grammy-winning song Push 2 Start blends South African rhythms with global pop sensibilities, helping to propel African music into the mainstream. This latest accolade builds on her earlier success with Water, which claimed the inaugural Best African Music Performance award at the 2024 Grammys.

Tyla’s Push 2 Start has enjoyed widespread international success. The track hit No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart and the UK Afrobeats Singles chart, debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and earned multiple platinum and gold certifications across global markets. Its crossover appeal helped solidify her position as a global ambassador for African music.(Wikipedia)

A Stacked Category: Heavyweights in Competition

The Best African Music Performance category this year featured some of Africa’s top artists and musical powerhouses: Burna Boy (Nigeria) with “Love”, Davido featuring Omah Lay (Nigeria) with “With You”, Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid (Nigeria) with “Gimme Dat”, and  Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin (Uganda) with “Hope & Love”

These artists brought diverse sounds and massive fanbases to the Grammys, making the category one of the most competitive of the night. Many industry watchers had tipped Burna Boy and Davido - both global Afrobeats ambassadors with decades of influence - as strong contenders for the award.(WITHIN NIGERIA)

Davido himself addressed his loss on social media, sharing that although he was disappointed not to win, his wife encouraged him to remain gracious and celebrate the achievement of just being nominated alongside Africa’s best.(Vanguard News)

 What Made Tyla Stand Out

Musical Innovation and Global Appeal

Tyla’s victory reflects the global crossover appeal of Push 2 Start, which blends amapiano, pop and R&B influences in a way that resonates both in Africa and internationally. The song’s chart performance and multicultural elements helped distinguish it in the eyes of Grammy voters, who have increasingly recognized African music’s diverse sonic footprint in recent years.

Unlike some other nominees who stayed closer to Afrobeats core sounds, Tyla’s fusion of styles speaks to a broader global audience - a key factor in winning awards at international platforms like the Grammys. Her music’s ability to chart outside African music charts illustrates this crossover success.

Consistency and Recognition

Winning the Best African Music Performance award twice - first for Water and now for Push 2 Start - positions Tyla as a leader in the category and underscores her consistency in performance quality and global resonance. Her artistry illustrates the Grammy’s evolving understanding of African music, not only as a regional genre but as part of the global pop landscape.

Cultural and Industry Reactions

Tyla’s win sparked widespread celebration across the African continent and the diaspora. In South Africa, public officials, including the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, congratulated her, describing the achievement as a moment of national pride and a demonstration of the country’s cultural impact.(South African Government)

Social media platforms lit up with hashtags like #TylaGrammy and #Push2Start, while music fans around the world applauded what they saw as a triumph for African representation in global music awards. The victory also highlighted the growing influence of South African music styles like amapiano, which continues to gain traction beyond the continent.

Implications for African Music and Future Grammys

Expanding African Representation

The Best African Music Performance category, created in 2024 to showcase African sounds on the Grammy stage, has been instrumental in elevating local artists to international prominence. Tyla’s back-to-back victories affirm the category’s role in broadening global recognition of African talent and celebrating artists who push creative boundaries.

Her success also sends a message to aspiring African musicians that the global market is receptive to diverse styles beyond mainstream Afrobeats, encouraging experimentation with fusion genres that can resonate worldwide.

Nigerian Artists’ Continued Strength

Despite not winning this year, Nigerian artists like Davido, Burna Boy, and Ayra Starr continue to dominate streaming platforms and international charts - a testament to the strength and influence of Nigerian music globally. Their presence in the nominations underscores the depth of talent coming from Africa’s most populous nation.

Industry analysts see this competitiveness as beneficial for the continent’s music scene, as it raises the profile of African music and generates more opportunities for global collaborations and recognition.

What Tyla’s Victory Means Going Forward

Tyla’s Grammy win serves not only as a personal milestone but also as a cultural landmark for African music on the world stage. By bridging local sounds with global tastes, she represents a new wave of African artists shaping the future of music beyond continental borders.

As African music continues to permeate global markets and platforms like the Grammys evolve to reflect this diversity, artists like Tyla are proving that the continent’s creative influence is not just rising, it’s here to stay.