South African singer Tyla Laura Seethal took home her second Grammy award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1.  

For the song, Push 2 Start, from the deluxe edition of her eponymous album, Tyla, Seethal took home the Recording Academy award for Best African Music Performance. The song garnered over 136 million streams on YouTube and over 444 million listens on Spotify.  

The 24-year-old was the only South African amongst the nominees, which included West Africa’s Afrobeats artists, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (Burna Boy), David Adedeji Adeleke (Davido), Omah Stanley Didia (Omah Lay), Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (Wizkid) and Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe (Ayra Starr). She was also up against Ugandan artist, Edrisah Kenzo Musuuzah (Eddy Kenzo).  

“Guys, first of all, Africa,” Seethal said in an interview after winning. “Like, guys, this is insane. This is so insane. I’m just so lucky to be here, and I’m so proud to be African. I’m so proud to be where I’m from, and I hope that everyone is too! 

“I [have] definitely felt so welcome by the industry, by America,” she continued in her interview. “So, I’m very grateful to just be here and to be able to share my music and my culture in places that might not understand me fully. I’m just hype for people to get to know me and listen to the new music.”  

Following the success of her hit single in 2024, Water, for which she won her first Grammy, Seethal has become a global music sensation.  

She also announced on Sunday night that her sophomore album, A-POP, will be released this year in June/July.  

In 2024, Seethal was the youngest African artist to win a Grammy, achieving the milestone at the age of 22. 

In a 2024 interview with FORBES AFRICA, she had said the Grammy is confirmation that she is on the right path, and there will be more accolades as testament to her hard work.  

“I am a dreamer, there is no dream that is too big for me…I just feel like this is only the beginning. There are more Grammys and hits songs to come [from me] and more amazing things for Africa, there is no limit,” she had said. 

Hosted by South African comedian Trevor Noah for the sixth time, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards also honored the late Nigerian star, Fela Kuti, with the Lifetime Achievement Award, 29 years after his death. 

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu celebrated his win with a statement hailing the Afrobeats artist as revolutionary. “Fela was more than a musician. He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound,” the President wrote.