South African music star Tyla Seethal emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 52nd American Music Awards after securing two major honours at the ceremony held in Las Vegas.

The 24-year-old singer won the Best Afrobeats Artist award, defeating Nigerian global stars Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema, as well as Ghanaian-American artiste MOLIY in the fan-voted category.

Tyla also claimed the Social Song of the Year award for her 2025 hit single, “CHANEL”, becoming the only African artiste to win at this year’s ceremony, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and was hosted by Queen Latifah.

The singer entered the night as the most nominated African act in American Music Awards history with four nominations, including Best Female R&B Artist and Best Music Video for “CHANEL”.

Released in October 2025, “CHANEL” enjoyed massive commercial success, amassing more than 320 million streams on Spotify while dominating global streaming charts. The song also topped several international music rankings and became one of Tyla’s biggest records to date.

Although she was absent from the ceremony and did not deliver an acceptance speech, the double win marked another milestone in her rapidly growing international career.

Tyla first gained worldwide recognition with her 2023 breakout single “Water”, which reached the top 10 in several countries, including South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The song established her as one of Africa’s leading crossover pop stars and opened the door to mainstream global success.

Aside from her AMAs win, her continued success in the Afrobeats category has also fuelled ongoing online debates over the classification of her sound, which combines amapiano, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats influences.