South African singer Tyla was honoured as Best New Artist at the 2024 BET Awards held on Monday, News About Nigeria reports.
In addition to her Best New Artist win, Tyla also clinched the award for Best International Act, beating out notable contenders such as Asake, Ayra Starr, and Aya Nakamura (France).
In the early hours of Monday, Tyla accepted the Best New Artist award, triumphing over fellow nominees Ayra Starr, 41, 4Batz, Bossman Dlow, Fridayy, October London, and Sexyy Red.
In her acceptance speech, Tyla said, “This is such a gift to be here. I want to dedicate this one to Africa. I want to dedicate this to all the African superstars before me that didn’t get these opportunities that I’m getting. This is just amazing. Africa to the world guys.”
Historically, Nigerian artists have had a strong presence at the BET Awards, with Davido winning Best International Act in 2018 and Burna Boy securing the same award in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Tems interrupted Burna Boy’s streak by winning in 2022, only for Burna Boy to reclaim it in 2023.
The 22-year-old artist, who gained global recognition with her debut single “Water”, has quickly risen to prominence in the music industry.
Tyla’s breakthrough hit “Water” not only earned her widespread acclaim but also secured the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance in February 2024, making her the youngest African artist to win a Grammy.
Meanwhile, Usher had a memorable night at the 2024 BET Awards, held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 30. Usher not only received a Lifetime Achievement award but also won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist for the fifth time.
At 45, Usher became the second-youngest recipient of BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award, following Whitney Houston, who was 37 when she received the inaugural award in 2001.
