Four South African artists score nods at MTV Europe Music Awards

South African music megastar Tyla leads the Mzansi pack with four nominations in the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs), to be held on November 10 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, UK.

The 22-year-old amapiano artist — who has racked up a multitude of international awards in recent months, including the MTV Video Music Award, Grammy, Billboard and BET Award — garnered nods for the coveted Best New Artist EMA, in addition to Best R&B, Best African Act and Best Afrobeats.

This is Tyla’s first EMA nomination and she ties with Beyoncé, Ayra Starr, Kendrick Lamar, and Lisa who have each received four nods.

Tshwala Bam global sensations TitoM (Thato Mathobela) & Yuppe (Bongani Sibanyoni) from Pretoria, as well as Durban-born amapiano music producer and DJ DBN Gogo (Mandisa Radebe) have been nominated in the same category as Tyla for Best African Act.

All four South Africans will be up against Asake of Nigeria, Benin-born Ayra Starr of Nigeria and Diamond Platnumz of Tanzania for the award.

Tyla, who releases a deluxe version of her self-titled album with three new songs on Friday, will be competing for the Best Afrobeats accolade against Burna Boy, Rema, Tems, Asaka and Ayra Starr.

“The nominations reflect the remarkable talent and diversity of Africa’s music scene, with Afrobeats and other genres making a powerful impact worldwide,” said Monde Twala, BET International senior vice-president and GM of Paramount Africa.

“Artists such as Ayra Starr, Tyla, Burna Boy and Tems are ambassadors of African excellence and their achievements inspire the next generation of creatives from the continent.”

The EMAs, dubbed “music’s biggest global celebration”, celebrates its 30th anniversary and marks a return to the UK after seven years.

Last year’s event, scheduled to take place in Paris, France, was cancelled due to security concerns during the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming and events at Paramount and chief content officer of music for Paramount+, said: “The MTV EMAs is one of the biggest global music celebrations, bringing together local and international artists to create iconic performances for fans around the world.

“With music at the heart of Manchester’s rich creative heritage, this vibrant city — with the state of the art Co-op Live — will guarantee a supercharged 2024 show.”

The MTV EMAs will be broadcast on MTV in South Africa on November 10 at 11pm on DStv channel 322 as well as GOtv channel 72.

Taylor Swift leads the pack with seven nominations, followed by Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish with five nods apiece.