(Tyla. Photo by BBC)
South African music sensation Tyla has etched her name in the record books at the 2026 American Music Awards, walking away with two major honours at the prestigious ceremony.
Born Tyla Laura Seethal, the singer claimed the Best Afrobeats Artist award, beating out a strong field of African acts including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, and Moliy.
She also took home the fan-voted Social Song of the Year award for her hit track “Chanel,” making her the only African artist to win at the 52nd edition of the AMAs.
Tyla entered the night as the most nominated African act in AMA history, having received four nominations in total a milestone that underscored her rapidly growing global footprint.
Released in October 2025, “Chanel” proved to be a massive commercial hit, dominating streaming platforms and music charts around the world.
The song has reportedly surpassed 320 million streams on Spotify and also earned nominations for Best Music Video and Best Female R&B Artist.
The Johannesburg-born star first burst onto the international scene in 2023 with her breakout single “Water,” a genre-blending track that fused R&B with South African Amapiano influences.
The song went viral on social media and climbed into the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, launching her self-titled debut album and setting the stage for her global rise.
Her latest AMAs triumph adds to an already impressive collection of accolades. She previously won a Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for “Water” and claimed MTV Video Music Awards for Best Afrobeats Video in both 2024 and 2025.
Looking ahead, Tyla is also nominated at the 2026 BET Awards in June, where she has earned two nods including a historic Video of the Year nomination.
She is additionally reported to be putting the finishing touches on her second studio album, expected for release in July.