Tiwa Savage has revisited a defining milestone in her career, sharing throwback photos from the night she became the first African female artist to win the MTV Europe Music Awards Best African Act in 2018.
The Afrobeats singer posted the images with a message acknowledging how far she has come and the doors she helped open in the industry.
“On this day, 7 years ago (2018), The Queen became the First African Female Artist to win the MTV EMAs award in the ‘Best African Act’ category. She’s come a long way, broken down a lot of doors that seemed impossible to open, and also paved the way for other female artists,” Savage wrote.
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage
The photos show Savage proudly holding the MTV EMA trophy in a black off-shoulder dress, alongside a second image posing against a large MTV logo backdrop. The moment remains one of the most documented highlights of her rise, during a period defined by hit records such as Kele Kele Love, Eminado, All Over, and Ma Lo, which dominated airwaves across Africa and beyond.
In recent years, however, the singer has faced a quieter award cycle, even as newer acts and shifting industry dynamics reshape the Afrobeats landscape, where the genre today is a you-blink-you’re-out battlefield–new sounds, new faces, new PR wars, new streaming politics.. Savage has also sparked conversation through several interviews where she addressed challenges in the music scene and cultural expectations, comments that generated both support and criticism across social platforms.
Despite that, the singer continues to record and perform, with her upcoming project positioned as a return to a more mature sound shaped by experience, global touring, and personal growth.
For many fans and industry observers, Savage’s post served as a reminder of her impact on the genre and her influence in expanding global visibility for female artists from Nigeria.
As Afrobeats continues to evolve, Savage, a pioneer whose legacy is tied to both its history and its unfolding future.
