MTV VMAs Drop Best Afrobeats Category: What It Means for African Music
The MTV Video Music Awards have dropped the Best Afrobeats category from their 2026 lineup, ending a three-year run for an award introduced as African music gained greater visibility in the global mainstream.
The omission became apparent when the 2026 nominees were announced in August. MTV has not publicly explained why the category was left out, so the decision’s specific motivation remains unknown.
The change has nevertheless raised a wider question for African music professionals: what happens when a genre gains international recognition, but the platforms recognizing it continue to change how that recognition is organized?
For an industry working to expand its global reach, the discussion goes beyond one trophy. It touches on visibility, genre classification, award-show priorities and the importance of building markets that do not depend on a single international platform.
A category with a short history
The Best Afrobeats category debuted at the 2023 VMAs. Nigerian singer Rema and American singer Selena Gomez won the inaugural award for their hit collaboration, “Calm Down.”
South African star Tyla won the award in both 2024 and 2025, for “Water” and “PUSH 2 START,” respectively.
The category’s three editions provided a dedicated place for Afrobeats within one of the best-known American music awards. Its removal means there was no fourth winner in 2026.
It is important, however, not to assume that the decision was caused by a particular artist’s wins or by a specific controversy. MTV has not publicly given a reason for dropping the category.
African artists still appeared in other categories
The absence of Best Afrobeats did not mean African artists were entirely excluded from the 2026 nominations.
Nigerian stars Burna Boy and Tems received nominations in other categories. Burna Boy was nominated for Best Collaboration for “Dai Dai,” his collaboration with Shakira, while Tems was nominated in Best R&B for “Raindance,” her collaboration with Dave.
Neither artist won those categories at the September 27 ceremony, according to post-event coverage.
Their nominations illustrate a distinction worth making: African artists can compete in broader international categories, but that is not the same as having a dedicated category that explicitly recognizes a genre associated with the continent.
Why the removal has prompted debate
1. Visibility matters, but so does how music is classified
A dedicated category can give a genre a clear place in an awards program and make it easier for audiences to discover artists working within it.
At the same time, music genres are not always neat or universally agreed upon. African artists draw from multiple traditions, and the boundaries between Afrobeats, amapiano, Afropop and other styles can be debated by listeners, musicians and industry professionals.
The challenge for award organizers is to create categories that recognize musical communities without reducing the diversity of their work to a single label.
2. Awards are only one part of global success
International awards can generate headlines and introduce artists to new audiences, but they do not determine the full value of a music career.
Streaming, touring, publishing, licensing, brand partnerships and direct relationships with fans can all contribute to an artist’s long-term business. The removal of one category does not erase the international audience African music has built.
It does, however, remind artists and their teams that visibility on any one platform is subject to decisions they do not control.
3. African music needs more routes to recognition
The wider industry can continue building opportunities through African awards, festivals, media, distribution networks, music conferences and partnerships with international organizations.
For African music companies, developing reliable systems for rights management, artist promotion, touring and catalogue exploitation may have more lasting commercial value than relying on award nominations alone.
Recognition matters, but the ability to reach audiences and earn from music should not depend entirely on the decisions of a single awards institution.
What should artists and music professionals take from this?
The practical lesson is not to dismiss international awards, nor to treat their decisions as the final measure of African music’s progress.
Artists can still pursue international recognition while building stronger foundations at home and across the continent. That means investing in their catalogues, understanding their rights, developing live audiences, working with capable distribution partners and maintaining relationships with media and industry professionals.
Music businesses can also use the conversation to consider how they measure success. Award nominations may support visibility, but audience growth, revenue, repeat listening and sustainable careers are equally important indicators.
What happens next?
As of the 2026 awards, the Best Afrobeats category is absent from the VMAs lineup. MTV has not publicly explained the change or confirmed whether the category will return in a future edition.
For now, the decision is a moment for the African music industry to reflect on the relationship between international recognition and long-term industry development.
Afrobeats and other African sounds continue to reach listeners around the world. Their future will be shaped not only by which categories appear at an awards ceremony, but by the artists, companies, audiences and institutions that keep creating opportunities for African music to travel and thrive.
