(L-R) Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey present Tyla with the award. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV
Tyla shut down speculation about tension between her and Halle Bailey after their appearances at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
Bailey, 24, and Lil Nas X presented Tyla, 22, with the Moonperson for Best Afrobeats for her song “Water” at the awards show on Wednesday, September 11. After Tyla walked on stage, she said the trophy was too heavy to hold.
“Oh my gosh, you guys know me and holding awards. I am not strong enough,” Tyla said in her speech, handing the trophy over to Lil Nas X, 25.
Fans immediately theorized that there was a reason that Tyla sought to give the Moonperson to Lil Nas X instead of Bailey.
The MTV Video Music Awards are back — meaning Hollywood’s favorite artists delivered a fierce and fun red carpet. For the 2024 awards ceremony, which took place at the UBS Arena in New York City on Wednesday, September 11, stars including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat and more were nominated for a […]
“Y’all make everything weird,” Tyla wrote via X several hours after the ceremony. “I was not asking my girl Halle. We just girls.”
She added, “STFU I WON A VMAAAA.”
After she passed her trophy to Lil Nas X, Tyla continued on with her speech.
“Thank you so much,” the singer gushed while wearing a yellow Area Couture gown with Saulé jewelry. “Thank you my tigers, MTV, my team [and] everyone. This is such a big moment for Africa [and] African music. Guys, the global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proved that African music can be popular, too.”
VMAs, what’s good? Throughout its history, the MTV Video Music Awards has been responsible for kickstarting a handful of famous celebrity feuds. Fans will never forget the moment Kanye West stormed the stage seeking justice for Beyoncé after Taylor Swift won the Best Female Video award in September 2009. “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for […]
She continued, “This is just so special, but also bittersweet because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under ‘afrobeat’ and it’s a thing. Even though Afrobeats has run things and opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats.”
Tyla, who hails from South Africa, further noted that she proudly represents “[her] culture” in her music.
“Love you guys! Africa to the world,” Tyla concluded. “Stream my album, Tyla.”
Tyla also gave a shout-out to her fellow nominees Arya Starr, Burna Boy and Tems. Chris Brown and Usher were also included in the category.
Tyla’s popularity exploded with the July 2023 release of “Water,” which soon made waves on TikTok.
“I never thought, ‘This song is going to blow up.’ And then I started performing it and seeing everyone singing every word,” she told Cosmopolitan in an April profile. “I knew it was something bigger than what we thought. People from everywhere are listening to it and dancing to it, no matter their age. There’s babies, there’s old people. I just love that it’s an African sound that is so universal.”
