Political parties criticised for using Tyla's Grammy win for their agendas

Tyla’s second Grammy win was widely celebrated across South Africa, but the mood changed when political parties entered the chat.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have been called out for using her latest Grammy victory in their own political messaging.

The 24-year-old singer won Best African Music Performance for “Push 2 Start” at the 68th Grammy Awards, marking her second consecutive win in the category.

As expected, South Africans flooded social media with congratulatory messages, celebrating another major global moment for the “Chanel” hitmaker.

The backlash stemmed from political parties joining the conversation. The EFF shared a poster-style graphic featuring Tyla placed against the party’s signature red background, complete with its logo and links to its platforms. 

The post also included the party’s 2026 slogan, “2026, the year of victory or death”, which many netizens felt had nothing to do with the singer’s achievement.

The DA followed with its own branded post, also using a picture of Tyla holding her Grammy set against a blue background and the party’s logo. The caption praised her success and described it as a proud moment for South Africa.

On X, users accused both parties of inserting themselves into a moment that had nothing to do with politics. Several questioned whether Tyla had permitted her image to be used in this way, while others felt her personal milestone was being turned into campaign material.

“Can we congratulate an artist without the political branding? Has Tyla endorsed the EFF?” wrote @BiancavanWyk16, while @DankiBabaMaAda added, “How shameless are these political parties.”

Others were even less impressed, with @DPRyoongi commenting, “Ew… keep her name off your filthy, disgusting page.”

Not all political figures went the branded route, though. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula kept it straightforward, congratulating Tyla directly.

“Congratulations to one of our own, @Tyllaaaaaaa, for winning the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance. This now makes her a two-time winner of the awards. Make them sweat!” he wrote.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie also congratulated the award-winning artist, “Tyla continues to make history and to fly the South African flag high on the world’s biggest cultural stages,” he said, adding that the Grammy was “not only a recognition of her individual brilliance, but a celebration of South African creativity, resilience and innovation.”

McKenzie also pointed to the wider impact of her success, noting that Tyla’s journey shows young people that “global excellence is possible from right here at home,” and that through her music, she is “telling a South African story to the world, and the world is listening.”