South African pop sensation Tyla has reinforced her global music dominance after claiming the Best African Music Performance prize at the 2026 Grammy Awards, beating top Nigerian stars – Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr and Wizkid – in a highly competitive field.
She won the award with her hit track “Push 2 Start,” edging out Burna Boy’s “Love,” Davido and Omah Lay’s joint single “With You,” Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s “Gimme Dat,” and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin’s “Hope & Love.” The category, created to celebrate African musical excellence, continues to attract worldwide recognition as Afrobeats and African pop surge in global popularity.
The win further strengthens Tyla’s rapid rise on the global awards scene and underscores South Africa’s expanding influence within both the African and international music landscape.
For Nigeria, however, the ceremony ended on a disappointing note. Despite earning major nominations across key categories, no Nigerian artiste secured a Grammy win in 2026. Leading names such as Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr and Wizkid all missed out, making it one of the uncommon years the continent’s most dominant music powerhouse left the Grammys without a trophy.
Burna Boy also fell short in the Best Global Music Album category, as his project “No Sign of Weakness” was beaten by Brazilian icons Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, whose joint live album “Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo” took the award.
Tyla’s latest Grammy triumph is historically significant. She now holds two wins in the Best African Music Performance category, having first set the record in 2024 with her breakout hit “Water,” which made her the award’s first-ever recipient. Her second victory underscores her consistency, worldwide appeal, and the growing recognition of African female artists on the global music scene.
With multiple chart-topping releases and an expanding international audience, Tyla’s ascent mirrors a wider transformation in the global reception of African music. As Afrobeats, Amapiano, and African pop continue to dominate playlists across Europe and the United States, Grammy competition among African acts is intensifying – pointing to a new chapter for the continent’s sound worldwide.
