Fans have slammed Tyla for her ‘tacky’ behavior at the 2024 MTV VMAs after she claimed she wasn’t ‘strong enough’ to hold her award for Best Afrobeats during her acceptance speech.
The 22-year-old South African singer won the accolade for her 2023 single Water and was greeted by actress Halle Bailey, who looked very glamorous in a racy red dress, and rapper Lil Nas X as she made her way onto the stage at New York’s UBS Arena.
Looking stunning in a strapless yellow dress which featured a tasseled hem, Tyla took the silver moonman statue from Lil Nas X, 25, immediately but refused the winner’s envelope that Halle, 24, tried to hand to her.
‘Oh my gosh!’ the singer announced, before quickly realizing that the statuette was quite heavy as she turned around and said to the duo: ‘I’m not strong enough, please, please…,’ suggesting that one of them hold it for her.
Mother-of-one Halle stood still and grinned at the singer while Lil Nas X quickly stepped forward and took the award for her as Tyla continue with her acceptance speech – but fans were not impressed with her actions and took to social media to share their thoughts.
Fans have slammed Tyla for her ‘tacky’ behavior onstage at the 2024 MTV VMAs on Wednesday, September 11
The 22-year-old singer handed her award back to rapper Lil Nas X after saying she wasn’t ‘strong enough’ to hold it
When a clip of the rather awkward moment was shared on Instagram, one person commented: ‘Asking Lil Mermaid to hold your award is diabolical. Have some decorum!’ while another said: ‘I think that was very tacky of her hold your award sweetheart.’
A third person joked: ‘Halle said the only thing I’m holding is my baby,’ while a fourth Instagram user observed: ‘The way Halle didn’t move a muscle needs to be studied.’
Someone else mocked Tyla and wrote: ‘Girl, that’s the Little Mermaid! She ain’t holding yo damn award,’ while another commented: ‘Halle said no ma’am, Nas had no choice lol.’
A different fan said: ‘She’s gorgeous.. but so odd. Her not giving them a hug or any kind of acknowledgment, then asking him to hold the award felt weird.’
Another person claimed: ‘She didn’t acknowledge or greet them but want them to hold the trophy like they work for her lol,’ while someone else added: ‘She’s feeling herself a lil too much!’
During her acceptance speech, Tyla said of her hit song: ‘The global impact that Water has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too.
‘This is just so special, but also bittersweet because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats,’ she continued.
‘It’s a thing, and even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats.’
Tyla didn’t appear interested as Halle Bailey tried to give her the winner’s envelope with her name on it
Lil Nas X patiently held Tyla’s moonman statue while she told the crowd her win was ‘special but bittersweet’
She then spoke about how she specifically makes Amapiano music, or a South African genre that fuses house, jazz, and the ’90s-originated sound known as kwaito.
‘I come from South Africa. I represent Amapiano, I represent my culture,’ Tyla said, before praising some of her peers and others nominated in the Afrobeats category, adding: ‘Africa to the world!’
Other winners on the night included Taylor Swift, who collected the award for Video of the Year, and former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter, who won the accolade for Song of the Year for her hit track Espresso.