Ahead of the 2026 edition of the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), fans have noticed that the Best Afrobeats category has been excluded.
Confusion has trailed the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations after the ceremony unveiled its nominees without warning, with several major genre categories notably missing from this year’s list.
Among the most notable omissions is the Best Afrobeats category, which has been dropped after just three years of recognising the genre’s growing global influence.
MTV has yet to issue a press release or provide an official explanation for the decision to remove the category from the 2026 nominations.
The Best Afrobeats category was introduced in 2023 as part of the VMAs’ effort to recognise the rapid growth and international reach of African music. It made an immediate impact in its debut year when Rema and Selena Gomez won the inaugural award for their global hit, “Calm Down.”
South African singer Tyla went on to dominate the category in the following years, winning the award in both 2024 for “Water” and 2025 for “Push 2 Start.”
The category’s removal comes despite Afrobeats continuing to enjoy significant global visibility. African music stars remain represented elsewhere in the 2026 nominations, with Burna Boy receiving a nomination for Best Collaboration alongside Shakira, while Tems earned a nod in the Best R&B category.
However, the absence of a dedicated Afrobeats award has raised questions about the direction of the VMAs’ approach to genre-specific recognition, particularly at a time when African music continues to expand its international audience.
Afrobeats was not the only genre category missing from this year’s nominations. MTV has also dropped its long-running Best Rock category, an award that has existed in various forms since 1989.
Rock artists have instead been placed under the broader Best Alternative category, suggesting that MTV may be moving towards fewer, wider genre classifications rather than maintaining separate awards for individual musical styles.
While MTV has not explained the reasoning behind the changes, the removal of both Best Afrobeats and Best Rock has sparked renewed discussion about how the VMAs define and recognise different genres as the global music landscape continues to evolve.
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The post VMAS 2026: Confusion as MTV exclude the Best Afrobeats category appeared first on NotjustOk.
Ahead of the 2026 edition of the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), fans have noticed that the Best Afrobeats category has been excluded.
The post VMAS 2026: Confusion as MTV exclude the Best Afrobeats category appeared first on NotjustOk. Read More