Tyla has won her first NAACP Image Award — reportedly her 49th award in three years.
The Johannesburg-born performer won the Outstanding International Song category for her global hit Is It. She beat African heavyweights Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Tiwa Savage and Skip Marley.
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) Image Awards are regarded as one of the most significant platforms celebrating black excellence in the entertainment industry, including leading figures across music, film, television and literature.
The win — announced on Tuesday in a non-televised awards presentation ahead of last night’s formal ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California — caps a breakout run for the 2025 single.
Released on July 11 2025 by Epic Records, Is It was featured on the South African singer’s EP We Wanna Party (WWP). The track has been streamed over 76.8-million times to date on Spotify and reached the No. 1 position on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart.
Industry observers say that Tyla’s win strengthens her foothold in the US market, where radio penetration remains a key benchmark for crossover success. Her strategy has combined amapiano-infused production with global pop and R&B.
The 24-year-old singer, one of South Africa’s hottest exports, won her second Grammy award on February 1 in the Best African Music Performance category for Push 2 Start. She received her first Grammy in 2024 for her hit song Water in the same category.
South African comedian and multi-NAACP award winner Trevor Noah, who was nominated this year in the category of Outstanding Podcast: Society and Culture for his What Now? with Trevor Noah, faced stiff competition from Keke Palmer, Michelle Obama and The Don Lemon Show. Lemon, a former CNN anchor, won the award.
In Saturday’s formal awards ceremony, filmmaker Ryan Coogler and his drama Sinners were the winners in the motion picture category.
Deon Cole hosted the ceremony, with Viola Davis receiving the Chairman’s Award. Actor Colman Domingo received the President’s Award. Iconic hip-hop pioneers Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. A$AP Rocky received the Vanguard Award for Fashion.
According to Africa Facts Zone, Tyla has won 49 awards, including two Grammys and two BET awards. She has won at the American Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards and others.
Sunday Times
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