11 Top Cultural Moments By Africans in 2024

Culturally, amidst so many positives, there were still some much-needed evaluations from African music and artists assessingthe nominal value of Afrobeats to football dealing with itsungentlemanly elements and thecontinued uncertainties plaguing the continent's mainstream film terrain.

All that chaos makes it even more necessary to celebrate the big cultural moments of 2024. Here are 11 of the biggest ones.

Tyla's Historic Grammy Win

Accolades is perhaps the best word to describe the year Tyla had. Everywhere the South African singer turned, an award was waiting for her. Tyla's trophy cabinet was stacked from Western award shows to the South African Music Awards. However, the one that carries the most weight is herhistoric Grammy win for Best African Music Performance, courtesy of her global smash hit"Water." It was the first time this category was awarded at the Grammys, and considering how much Tyla's profile has grown in the eleven months since, her win feels even more deserved.

AFCON Takes Over the Timeline

During its month-long duration in Côte d'Ivoire, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) was a major topic of conversation on social media. Banter has become an entrenched part of football fandom in the social media era. However, this year's AFCON took that part of the modern football experience tohigher heights than before. Social media users from various African countries bonded and clashed over the wins and folly of teams, with the unpredictability of African football providing more than enough material. For a continent that isn't always culturally braided, AFCON was a true uniting force – even when thingsgot toxic.

Mati Diop Makes History with Berlinale Win

At this year's Berlin Film Festival, Senegalese French filmmaker Mati Diop becamethe first Black director to win the Golden Bear, the award for Best Film, for her striking sophomore film, Dahomey. An inventive documentary feature, Diop's film follows the return of a pack of 26 treasures back to Cotonou, the capital of the Benin Republic. Part of the film is narrated from the perspective of looted artifacts while capturing the celebrations in Benin that greeted their return. The Golden Bear win adds to Diop's marquee wins, which includes the Grand Prix award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for her classic debut film, Atlantique.

Imane Khelif Silences the Critics

No athlete was scrutinized more than Algerian boxer Imane Khelif at the Paris Olympics. After winning her quarterfinal bout, Khelif's opponent insinuated that the competition was unfair, immediatelysparking transphobic outrage that was, ultimately, grossly misinformed. While it was incredibly disheartening, Khelif's performances were truly inspiring, and she won gold at the women's welterweight boxing event.

Letsile Tebogo Brings Olympic Gold Home

At the 2024 World Athletics Awards, Letsile Tebogo won theMen's Athlete of the Year award, capping a truly phenomenal year where he strengthened his reputation as one of the fastest men alive in captivating fashion. Tebogo became the first African to win Olympic gold in the men's 200m event, earning Botswana itsfirst-ever Olympic gold medal. He also anchored the Botswana team that won silver in the men's 4x400m event. Tebogo's triumph wasn't only widely celebrated online, but there was also euphoric fanfare on his return home from Paris, reflecting the greatness of his biggest moment(s) yet.

Iwájú Brings African Animation to Disney

For the first time in its storied history,Disney Animation collaborated on "Iwájú," an animated series created by the African animation studio Kugali Media. Iwájú is a distinctly Nigerian story told on Kugali's terms, centered on the intersecting lives of lead characters Tola and Kole, in a futuristic version of Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos. "Iwájú is a love letter to Lagos," Kugali co-founder and series director Olufikayo Adeolasaid, and it's reflected in the show's authenticity. The limited show isup for three awards at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards, potentially continuing therecent streak of notable wins for African animation on a global scale.

The Joy Color Coachella With South African Flavor

Many expected Doja Cat to deliver a zany headline set at Coachella, complete with quirky fashion choices and intriguing stage designs. While those did happen, seeing the South African band The Joy share the primetime stagewas unexpected. In the opening segment of her set, Doja Cat, who has seldom highlighted her South African roots, was joined by the 5-man band as they harmonized in neo-classic Isicathamiya fashion, crescendoing with a soulful performance of the originally glossy hit song,"Shutcho." There weregreat African music highlights at Coachella 2024. Still, The Joy's phenomenal surprise appearance was a signature moment.

Tunde Onakoya's Noble Cause Gets Globally Amplified

The Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathonno longer belongs to Tunde Onakoya, but his attempt is one of the most inspiring moments of 2024. Onakoya played for 60 straight hours at New York's Times Square, setting a new record then. While that feat was remarkable, it was tied toraising $1 million for his initiative, Chess in Slums Africa, which is dedicated to broadening the horizons of at-risk youth through chess and other worthwhile endeavors. Onakoya's attempt was widely covered and keenly followed online worldwide, and most importantly, it amplified the great work of Chess in Slums in Africa on a global scale.

Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya's All-African Title Bout

African representation at the highest heights of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)continues growing. Less than seven months after winning the Middleweight title, South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis put upa successful title defense against his first challenger, Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya. While the feverish anticipation for the fight was doused in vitriolic animosity, both fighters agreed that their bout, the first all-African title fight, was a win for African mixed martial arts fighting. It's the perfect set-up for the UFC to host its first event on the continent, with a senior UFC executivestating that it's "definitely a 2025 thing."

Chidimma Adetshina's Beauty Pageant Triumph

Controversy colored much of 2024 for Chidimma Adetshina. Being born and raised in South Africa should have been enough for her to remain a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant; however, questions around her origins and the legality of her parents' entry into the country, as well as blatant xenophobia,halted that track. In a couple of months, she won Miss Universe Nigeria, identifying with her father's birthplace and representing Nigeria at Miss Universe. In Mexico City,she emerged as the runner-up in the global pageant, a triumph widely praised online by most Africans at home and in the diaspora.

Funke Akindele is in the Billion Club – Again

No filmmaker does blockbusters in Nollywood, and perhaps all of African mainstream cinema, like Funke Akindele. A year after her best film yet, A Tribe Called Judah,grossed over a billion naira ($625,000) during its cinema run, her latest effort,Everybody Loves Jenifa, has already hit the same markin less than 20 days since its release. While there are economic considerations to factor in,with inflation playing a role, the marketing effort of Akindele and her team was immense. The new film is a sequel to the ubiquitous show that significantly increased Akindele's popularity through the Jenifa character, with nostalgia playing a role in cinema admissions in Nigeria and beyond.