Nigerian Ayra Starr Wins Best International Act at 2025 BET Awards

Nigerian singer Ayra Starr won the 2025 BET Award for Best International Act, solidifying her status as a leading African music star amid a star-studded ceremony dominated by Kendrick Lamar.

Nigerian singer and songwriter Ayra Starr has made a remarkable achievement at the 2025 BET Awards, winning the prestigious ‘Best International Act’ category. The award ceremony, held on 9 June at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, saw the 22-year-old superstar triumph over a competitive field of African nominees, including South Africa’s Tyla, Nigeria’s Rema, Ghana’s Black Sherif, and Swaziland’s Uncle Waffles.

This victory places Ayra Starr among an elite group of African artists who have previously won this award, such as Davido (2018), Burna Boy (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), Tems (2022), and Tyla (2024). It represents a significant milestone in Ayra Starr’s burgeoning career, further solidifying her position as one of the continent’s breakout musical talents.

Ayra Starr, whose real name is Sarah Aderibigbe, has enjoyed an impressive run in the music industry, gaining international recognition with her blend of Afrobeat, R&B, and pop sounds. Her 2024 album, The Year I Turned 21, reached number one on Nigeria’s Spotify album chart and entered the UK Official Albums Chart at number 80. The album includes hit singles like ‘Rush’, ‘Santa’, and ‘Commas’, which have collectively amassed hundreds of millions of streams on platforms such as Spotify.

At the 17th Headies Awards earlier this year, Ayra Starr also earned accolades for her collaboration with American singer Giveon Evans on the song ‘Last Heartbreak Song’, which won Best R&B Single. She had previously secured the Viewer’s Choice Award in 2022 for her hit ‘Bloody Samaritan’.

The BET Awards, founded in 2001 by Black Entertainment Television, celebrate excellence in music, film, sports, and philanthropy within Black and minority communities globally. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the event, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, and featured a reunion of past winners.

While Ayra Starr’s win stood out among international acts, the night was dominated by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, who led the ceremony with ten nominations and took home five awards. Kendrick received Album of the Year for GNX, Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year for ‘Not Like Us’, and Best Collaboration alongside SZA for ‘Luther’.

Other notable winners included SZA for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Chris Brown for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, and Future & Metro Boomin for Best Group. The award for Best New Artist went to Leon Thomas.

Ayra Starr’s success at the BET Awards underscores the growing global influence of African music and artists. As more African stars gain international acclaim, Ayra Starr is poised to continue her upward trajectory and inspire a new generation of musicians across the continent.