Nigerian social media influencer Vincent Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has questioned South African singer Tyla’s victory in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where she edged out Nigerian stars including Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Omah Lay and Davido.
Tyla won the award on Sunday night with her song Push 2 Start, making it her second consecutive win in the category after claiming the inaugural prize in 2024 with Water.
Reacting in a video posted shortly after the announcement, VDM said he would have preferred Davido to win in order to “create balance” among the Afrobeats “Big 3,” noting that Wizkid and Burna Boy are already Grammy winners. He, however, acknowledged the efforts of all Nigerian nominees, describing their entries as strong.
The influencer concluded by saying the outcome was beyond the artists’ control, as the category has so far been won exclusively by female artistes since its introduction.
