Cape Argus News

Tyla shines at the 2026 AMAs, winning Social Song of the Year for 'CHANEL' and Best Afrobeats Artist

Gerry Cupido|Published
Tyla wins big at the 2026 AMAs.

Tyla wins big at the 2026 AMAs.

Image: X

Tyla has made history by winning the Social Song of the Year at the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs) for her hit song “CHANEL.”

The South African artist also secured the award for Best Afrobeats Artist, further solidifying her status as a prominent figure in the global music scene.

This monumental win was the perfect highlight for an artist who went into the night with a staggering amount of momentum.

She racked up an impressive four nominations at this year's ceremony.

In addition to her big win, she was up for Best Female R&B Artist, and Best Music Video as well.

These nods are a massive deal because they officially cemented her as the most nominated African artist in the history of the American Music Awards.

It's incredibly well-deserved when you look at the cultural impact of "CHANEL", since dropping in October 2025, the track has dominated charts and pulled in more than 320 million Spotify streams.

Keeping that incredible energy going, Tyla was also nominated for two categories at the 2026 BET Awards.

While Tyla's record-breaking night is the talk of the town, several other huge names completely cleaned up at the Las Vegas ceremony.

Here are five of the top winners who dominated the 2026 American Music Awards:

  • BTS: Secured Song of the Summer for their Hot 100 hit "Swim" and won Best Male K-Pop Artist.
  • Sabrina Carpenter: Took home Album of the Year and Best Pop Album for “Man’s Best Friend”. She also won the award for Best Female Pop Artist.
  • KATSEYE: Won New Artist of the Year and Breakthrough Pop Artist. They also snagged Best Music Video for their hit "Gnarly".
  • HUNTR/X: Won Song of the Year, Best Pop Song, and Best Vocal Performance.
  • Bruno Mars: Took home Best Male R&B Artist. He also won Best R&B Song for "I Just Might" and Best R&B Album for “The Romantic”.