AFRICAN ACTS TOOK THE 2024 BET AWARDS BY STORM
Experience the electrifying performances and major victories of African musicians at the 2024 BET Awards.
From Tyla’s unforgettable performance, to other upcoming names like Ayra Starr and Seyi Vibes receiving their well-deserved recognition, showcasing the global impact of Afrobeats and Amapiano.
Dive into the highlights of the evening as we celebrate the talent shaping the future of African music.
To top it all off, she earned two more nominations: the ‘Viewer’s Choice’ for her popular ‘Water’ hit, and ‘Female R&B/Pop Artist’. Later on in the night, she brought the heat with an unforgettable performance of her latest hit ‘Jump’ featuring Gunna and Skillibeng. The performance was definitely one to get you jumping, as she dropped into a cage with her backup dancers painted as a tiger–an ode to her fanbase, the ‘tigers’.
The highlight of the night was marked by South Africa’s Tyla bagging the award for ‘Best Artist’, a tight gap between her and American rapper Sexyy Red. She also won the category for ‘Best International Act’, nominated alongside other talents like Asake (Nigeria), Focalistic (South Africa), and Ayra Starr (Nigeria).

“I wanna dedicate this one to all the African superstars before me that didn’t get these opportunities that I’m getting… Africa to the world, guys!”
“I started music from the streets and today I’m here. My dream just came true. I’m just speechless. This is the best birthday ever.” -Makhadzi


Tems took home the award for ‘Best Gospel/Inspirational Artist’ with her dreamy ‘Me & U’, off her latest album titled ‘Born In the Wild’, though she could not be there to receive her award, as she was set to perform at UK’s Glastonbury Festival. Her directing skills also earned her a nomination for ‘Video Director of the Year’ against Cole Bennett, Janelle Monae, and Tyler, the Creator, among others.
Another notable win was taken home by South African singer Makhadzi for ‘Best New International Act’. She was up against other big African acts like Seyi Vibes and Tyler ICU, as well as European artists like Bellah and HollyG.

The success of African musicians at the 2024 BET Awards is indicative of the broader global impact of African music, and the future looks bright for the continent’s music industry. As the world continues to embrace and dance to African sounds, there is no doubt that the industry will continue to grow and thrive, inspiring fresh talent and ideas from new generations.



Young African artists are taking the music industry by storm, with Africa being represented in nearly every music category. Ayra Starr’s nominations for ‘international act’, ‘new artist’, and the ‘BET Her’ award, Burna Boy for ‘Male Hip-hop Artist’ and ‘Male R & B/Pop Artist’, Asake and Focalistic for ‘International Act’, and Seyi Vibes and Tyler ICU for ‘Best New International Act’.



