Tyla calls Afrobeats win at MTV Awards 'bittersweet'

South African artist Tyla claimed the Afrobeats award for 'Water' on Wednesday at MTV's Video Music Awards.

The award was "such a big moment for Africa," she said as she accepted the VMAs Moon Person statuette.

"The global impact that 'Water' had on the world just proved that African music can be pop music too," she said to wild applause.

"Like this is just so special but also bittersweet, because I know there's a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats."

"African music is so diverse - it's more than just Afrobeats," Tyla said.

Swift big winner

Pop megastar Taylor Swift took home seven trophies, tying her with Beyonce for the most lifetime honors in the 40-year history of the video accolades.

Swift also thanked her fans for voting for the VMA honors and urged them to cast their ballots in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

The singer endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in an Instagram post on Tuesday, but she did not mention the candidate by name on Wednesday.

The VMAs began airing on MTV in 1984 and became known for memorable moments.

➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.