Tyla Biography: Age, Early Life, Water, Grammys and Albums

Tyla biography: born 30 January 2002 in Edenvale, global hit Water in 2023, two Grammy Awards, youngest African Grammy winner — Photo: NickRewind via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). Cropped and placed on a background. Source

Quick answer: Tyla (full name Tyla Laura Seethal) is a South African singer born on 30 January 2002 in Edenvale, Gauteng. She is 24 years old in 2026. Her 2023 song Water became a worldwide hit and won the first ever Grammy for Best African Music Performance. She is the youngest African artist to win a Grammy and mixes pop with amapiano, a style people call “popiano”.

Tyla Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full name	Tyla Laura Seethal
Date of birth	30 January 2002
Age	24 (as of 2026)
Place of birth	Edenvale, East Rand, Gauteng
School	Edenglen High School (matric 2019)
Work	Singer and songwriter
Music style	Amapiano, pop and R&B (“popiano”)
Record labels	Fax Records and Epic Records
Best-known song	Water (2023)
Grammy wins	Two

Early Life

Tyla was born in Edenvale on the East Rand and grew up in Johannesburg. She is the third of five children. At Edenglen High School she was Head of Culture and matriculated in 2019.

In her final year of school she shared her songs and cover versions on Instagram. Her first manager, Garth von Glehn, found her online and set up her first recording sessions. She spent every weekend of matric in the studio.

After school she started a degree in mining engineering. Her parents agreed to let her take a year off to try music, and in May 2021 she signed with Epic Records.

Music Career

Year	Release	What happened
2019	Getting Late	Her first single, a hit in South Africa
2023	Water	Global hit and first Grammy
2024	Tyla (debut album)	Praised by critics
2025	WWP (EP)	Followed by a tour
2026	A*Pop (second album)	Includes the global hit Chanel

Water: a record-breaking song

Water was the first song by a South African solo artist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years. It also won the first Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance.

Awards

Award	Number
Grammy Awards	2 wins
MTV Video Music Awards	2 wins
BET Awards	2 wins
MTV Europe Music Awards	3 wins
South African Music Awards	9 nominations

Tyla is the youngest African artist ever to win a Grammy.

Tyla Questions

How old is Tyla?

She was born on 30 January 2002, so she is 24 years old in 2026.

Where is Tyla from?

Edenvale on the East Rand, Gauteng. She grew up in Johannesburg.

What is Tyla’s real name?

Tyla Laura Seethal.

What is Tyla’s most famous song?

Water (2023), which won a Grammy and was a hit around the world.

How many Grammys has Tyla won?

Two. The first was for Water, in the new category Best African Music Performance.