According to reports the organisers unveiled the nominees for the 2026 MTV VMAs on Tuesday, with the “Best Afrobeats” category missing from the list.
The category was introduced in 2023, with Rema and Selena Gomez’s ‘Calm Down’ winning the inaugural award. Tyla subsequently won the award in 2024 and 2025 with ‘Water’ and ‘Push 2 Start’, respectively.
Tyla’s consecutive victories sparked criticism from music fans and industry observers, particularly Nigerians, who accused the organisers of “misrepresentation” for presenting an Afrobeats award to a South African artiste whose music they argued does not belong to the genre.
The organisers are yet to officially explain why the category was discontinued, but observers believe the decision may be connected to the controversy surrounding Tyla’s wins and the wider debate over what qualifies as Afrobeats.
Meanwhile, Nigerian singers Burna Boy and Tems secured nominations at the 2026 MTV VMAs.
Tems was nominated in the Best R&B category for her collaboration with Dave on ‘Raindance’.
Burna Boy received two nominations in the Best Collaboration and Best Latin categories for his World Cup collaboration with Shakira, ‘Dai Dai’.
Tyla was not nominated this year as the Best Afrobeats category, where her viral song ‘Chanel’ was expected to compete, was scrapped.
The 2026 MTV VMAs is scheduled to hold on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, United States.
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