At a Glance:
- Grammy-winning South African star to lead live show in California on June 21.
- Tyla continues to dominate global charts, sets Afrobeats milestone with 1B Spotify streams.
- “Water” singer earns two Kids’ Choice nominations alongside industry heavyweights.
Tyla, the Grammy Award-winning South African singer behind the global smash “Water,” will make history this year as the first African to host the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.
The 2025 edition of the slime-filled awards show will air live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on June 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and will broadcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, MTV2, and CMT.
The announcement was made Thursday alongside the year’s official nominee list.
Tyla, whose recent Billboard Hot 100 dominance marked a turning point for African female soloists, also earned two nominations this year: Favourite Global Music Star and Favourite Music Collaboration for “Show Me Love,” her hit with WizTheMc and bees & honey.
“I’m really about to host the Kids’ Choice Awards,” Tyla wrote on social media, reacting to the news.
Afrobeats’ global momentum surges
Tyla’s meteoric rise is emblematic of the global explosion of Afrobeats, now commanding top-tier stages, awards, and streaming charts. At the 51st American Music Awards 2025, the Johannesburg-born artist was also nominated, reinforcing her growing influence in global pop.
Her 2023 breakout single “Water” made her the highest-charting African female solo act on the Billboard Hot 100.
That same record went 2x platinum and earned her a Grammy for Best African Music Performance. Her debut album TYLA, released in March 2024, landed 12 singles on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Chart, including the chart-topping “Water,” now the first African song on Spotify to cross 1 billion streams.
Star-studded lineup & entertainment galore
This year’s Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards will feature musical acts, dance performances, and skateboarding stunts, with additional performance details to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Leading the nominations are Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande, with four nods each. Selena Gomez, Dwayne Johnson, Jelly Roll, and Jack Black follow with three nominations each.
Tyla’s newest single, “Bliss,” released earlier this month, continues her winning streak and positions her as a leading voice among Gen Z pop stars shaping the future of music.
