Celebs
Tyla and Halle Bailey cleared up the gossip about an awkward moment at the VMAs.

Tyla & Halle Bailey Address That VMAs Moment Fans Were Calling Shady

OK, here's the real tea.

by Dylan Kickham
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

The VMAs are known to be a powder-keg for celebrity feuds, and for a moment, it looked like the 2024 ceremony had set off an unexpected new tiff. When Tyla accepted her trophy for Best Afrobeats, she had a bit of an awkward moment on stage with the award’s presenter Halle Bailey. But before the rumors of a clash could get too out of hand, the two stars took to social media to explain things.

Once presenters Lil Nas X and Bailey handed Tyla her award, the singer struggled to hold it up. “You guys know me and holding awards, I’m not strong enough,” Tyla said, before turning to Bailey and Lil Nas X to ask for one of them to take the Moon Person. Bailey, who was standing closer to Tyla, did not immediately extend her hands to help, so Lil Nas X walked over to take the trophy for Tyla. A clip of the moment went viral during the show as viewers picked apart Bailey’s apparent resistance to holding the award.

Well, Tyla and Bailey saw the jokes right away, and cleared up all the drama. “Y'all make everything weird,” Tyla wrote on social media the night of the VMAs. “I was not asking my girl Halle… We just girls.” Sounds like Tyla was signaling for Lil Nas X to take the trophy all along. Bailey confirmed there’s nothing but love between the two in a response to Tyla’s message: “Exactly,” she affirmed. “Love you babes congrats.”

Mike Coppola/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Slight awkwardness aside, Tyla proceeded to deliver a powerful message in her acceptance speech, calling out the newly created VMAs category of Best Afrobeats for over-simplifying African music in its nominations this year.

“There is a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats,” Tyla said. “Even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It is more than just Afrobeats.”

She concluded by proudly stating tat she makes Amapiano music, a South African genre distinct from Afrobeats. “I come from South Africa. I represent Amapiano,” she stated. “I represent my culture.”