Tyla Beats Nigerian Heavyweights to Extend Grammy Glory

Iyke Bede

South African singer Tyla won the Best African Music Performance award at the 2026 Grammy Awards for ‘Push 2 Start’, edging out Nigeria’s top stars in a competitive field.

This is Tyla’s second win in the category, following her historic inaugural victory in 2024 for ‘Water’, the first song to earn the newly introduced Grammy for contemporary African music.

Nigerian artists were well represented. Burna Boy with ‘Love’, Ayra Starr and Wizkid with ‘Gimme Dat’, and Davido and Omah Lay with ‘With You’ were all nominated. Despite multiple entries and international recognition, the award went to Tyla, reaffirming her presence in the category.

In the Best Global Music Album category, Burna Boy lost to ‘Caetano e Bethania Ao Vivo’ by Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, leaving Nigeria without a win in one of the evening’s major international categories.

The race to the Grammy for Nigeria this year ended on a bleak note: the country gained recognition through nominations, but Nigeria’s crème de la crème, what some might call the ‘Big Three’, left the night without a single trophy.