Elevated experiences celebrating the culture through dance and rhythm
Elevated experiences celebrating the culture through dance and rhythm
In a move that’s left the global music community scratching their heads, MTV has quietly eliminated the Best Afrobeats category from the 2026 Video Music Awards lineup. The removal comes without any official statement from the network, leaving fans and artists wondering what prompted the decision to cut a category that had been celebrating one of the world’s fastest-growing music movements.
The Best Afrobeats award made its debut just three years ago at the 2023 VMAs, with Rema and Selena Gomez taking home the inaugural trophy for their crossover smash “Calm Down.” South African sensation Tyla then claimed the award in back-to-back years, winning in 2024 for “Water” and again in 2025 for “Push 2 Start.” The category’s brief but impactful run seemed to signal MTV’s recognition of Afrobeats’ undeniable global influence—making its sudden disappearance all the more puzzling.
While the dedicated Afrobeats category is gone, African artists haven’t been completely shut out of this year’s nominations. Burna Boy earned a nod for Best Collaboration alongside Shakira, and Tems landed a nomination in the Best R&B category. Still, the loss of genre-specific recognition feels like a step backward, especially when Afrobeats continues to dominate streaming platforms and festival lineups worldwide. Adding to the confusion, MTV also axed its long-standing Best Rock category, which had been part of the VMAs since 1989, suggesting a broader shift toward more general genre classifications.
The silence from MTV on why these changes were made has only fueled speculation about the network’s evolving approach to honoring diverse musical styles. For a genre that’s been breaking barriers and building bridges across continents, the removal of the Best Afrobeats category raises important questions about how major awards platforms choose to acknowledge—or overlook—the sounds shaping modern music.
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