Tyla Wins Best Afrobeats for Push 2 Start at the MTV VMAs | See Full Winners List

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South African star Tyla has bagged her second consecutive Best Afrobeats award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), winning for her hit single Push 2 Start. The awards ceremony, held on Sunday at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, marked another milestone for the 23-year-old singer, who first won the category in 2024 with her breakout track Water.

Tyla edged out a competitive line-up of nominees, including Nigerian heavyweights Asake (Active), Burna Boy featuring Travis Scott (TaTaTa), Rema (Baby, Is It A Crime), Tems featuring Asake (Get It Right), Wizkid featuring Brent Faiyaz (Piece of My Heart), and Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea (Shake It to the Max (Fly) [Remix]). Although “Push 2 Start” was also nominated for Best Choreography, it missed out on that win.

Adding to her winning night, Tyla made a bold fashion statement at the event, walking the red carpet in a striking vintage Chanel dress from the ’90s.

Beyond Afrobeats, the night also spotlighted a mix of today’s chart-toppers and music icons. Lady Gaga led the winners’ circle with four awards, including Artist of the Year, while Ariana Grande claimed Video of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead and presented the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award to Mariah Carey. Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet earned Album of the Year, and Busta Rhymes was honoured with the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award.

The 2025 VMAs, broadcast live for the first time on CBS, also introduced a Latin Icon Award for Ricky Martin, adding to a night that celebrated global artistry and music’s evolving cultural landscape.

See the full list of winners below

Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga — WINNER
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Song of the Year

Alex Warren – ‘Ordinary’
Billie Eilish – ‘Birds of a Feather’
Doechii – ‘Anxiety’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Gracie Abrams – ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
Lorde – ‘What Was That’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’ — WINNER
Tate McRae – ‘Sports Car’
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – ‘Timeless’

Best New Artist

Alex Warren — WINNER
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The Marías

MTV Push Performance of the Year

Ayra Starr – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’
Damiano David – ‘Next Summer’
Dasha – ‘Bye Bye Bye’
Gigi Perez – ‘Sailor Song’
Jordan Adetunji – ‘Kehlani’
Katseye – ‘Touch’ — WINNER
Lay Bankz – ‘Graveyard’
Leon Thomas – ‘Yes It Is’
Livingston – ‘Shadow’
Mark Ambor – ‘Belong Together’
Role Model – ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’
Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’

Best Collaboration

Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs – ‘Backup Plan’ (Stagecoach Official Music Video)
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – ‘Luther’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’ — WINNER
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – ‘Pour Me a Drink’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – ‘Sunset Blvd’

Best Pop

Alex Warren – ‘Ordinary’
Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ — WINNER
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’

Best Hip-Hop

Doechii – ‘Anxiety’ — WINNER
Drake – ‘Nokia’
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – ‘Somebody Save Me’
Glorilla ft. Sexyy Red – ‘Whatchu Kno About Me’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
LL Cool J ft. Eminem – ‘Murdergram Deux’
Travis Scott – ‘4×4’

Best Pop Artist

Ariana Grande
Charli XCX
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter — WINNER
Tate McRae

Video of the Year

Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ –WINNER
Billie Eilish – ‘Birds of a Feather’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – ‘Timeless’

Best R&B

Chris Brown – ‘Residuals’
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – ‘Mutt (Remix)’
Mariah Carey – ‘Type Dangerous’ –WINNER
PartyNextDoor – ‘No Chill’
Summer Walker – ‘Heart of a Woman’
SZA – ‘Drive’
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – ‘Timeless’

Best Alternative

Gigi Perez – ‘Sailor Song’
Imagine Dragons – ‘Wake Up’
Lola Young – ‘Messy’
MGK & Jelly Roll – ‘Lonely Road’
Sombr – ‘Back to Friends’ — WINNER
The Marías – ‘Back to Me’

Best Rock

Coldplay – ‘All My Love’ — WINNER
Evanescence – ‘Afterlife’
Green Day – ‘One Eyed Bastard’
Lenny Kravitz – ‘Honey’
Linkin Park – ‘The Emptiness Machine’
Twenty One Pilots – ‘The Contract’

Best Latin

Bad Bunny – ‘Baile Inolvidable’
J Balvin – ‘Rio’
Karol G – ‘Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido’
Peso Pluma – ‘La Patrulla’
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – ‘Khé?’
Shakira – ‘Soltera’ — WINNER

Best K-Pop

Aespa – Whiplash’
Jennie – ‘Like Jennie’
Jimin – ‘Who’
Jisoo – ‘Earthquake’
Lisa ft. Doja Cat & Raye – ‘Born Again’ — WINNER
Stray Kids – ‘Chk Chk Boom’
Rosé – ‘Toxic Till the End’

Best Afrobeats

Asake & Travis Scott – ‘Active’
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – ‘TaTaTa’
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – ‘Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)’
Rema – ‘Baby (Is It A Crime)’
Tems ft. Asake – ‘Get It Right’
Tyla – ‘Push 2 Start’ — WINNER
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – ‘Piece of My Heart’

Best Country

Chris Stapleton – ‘Think I’m in Love With You’
Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood – ‘I’m Gonna Love You’
Jelly Roll – ‘Liar’
Lainey Wilson – ‘4x4xU’
Megan Moroney – ‘Am I Okay?’ — WINNER
Morgan Wallen – ‘Smile’

Best Album

Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘GNX’
Lady Gaga – ‘Mayhem’
Morgan Wallen – ‘I’m the Problem’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Short n’ Sweet’ — WINNER
The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

Best Long Form Video

Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ — WINNER
Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’
Damiano David – ‘Funny Little Stories’
Mac Miller – ‘Balloonerism’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Something Beautiful’
The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

Video for Good

Burna Boy – ‘Higher’
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish — WINNER
Doechii – ‘Anxiety’
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – ‘Somebody Save Me’
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – ‘Younger and Hotter Than Me’
Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – ‘Sleepwalking’

Best Direction

Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ — WINNER
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’

Best Art Direction

Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ — WINNER
Lorde – ‘Man of the Year’
Miley Cyrus – ‘End of the World’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’

Best Cinematography

Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ — WINNER
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Easy Lover’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’

Best Editing

Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
Tate McRae – ‘Just Keep Watching’ — WINNER

Best Choreography

Doechii – ‘Anxiety’ — WINNER
FKA twigs – ‘Eusexua’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’
Tyla – ‘Push 2 Start’
Zara Larsson – ‘Pretty Ugly’

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’ — WINNER
Tate McRae – ‘Just Keep Watching’
The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

 

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