MTV VMAs 2026 Removes Best Afrobeats Category After Three Years

MTV officially unveiled the full list of nominees for the 2026 Video Music Awards, and a major shift in the line-up has quickly become one of the biggest talking points across the global music industry. Organisers have omitted the Best Afrobeats category from the ceremony. The decision marks the end of a short-lived three-year run for the dedicated genre award, leaving the music community to unpack what this change means for African representation on major international stages.

The category was first introduced in 2023 to celebrate the explosive global rise of African sounds. Across its three editions, the Moon Person trophy went to two acts who made history in the space. Rema and Selena Gomez took home the inaugural award in 2023 for their massive global crossover hit “Calm Down“. South African star Tyla followed with remarkable back-to-back victories, claiming the award in 2024 for her viral phenomenon “Water” and again in 2025 for her single “PUSH 2 START“. Rema and Tyla now stand as the only two artists to ever hold the honour.

Tyla arrives on the red carpet at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards before winning Best Afrobeats for Water. Photo Credit: Billboard/Instagram

MTV has offered no public commentary or formal statement detailing why the category was dropped. However, the move is part of a sweeping structural shake-up of the event. A total of nine categories were quietly retired for the 2026 ceremony, including mainstays like Best Pop Artist, Best Rock, Best Group, Push Performance of the Year, Video for Good, and Album of the Year.

The discontinuation also lands in the middle of a broader, ongoing industry debate about how Western awards bodies classify…