Nigeria: 2025 BET Awards - Ayra Starr Wins 'Best International Act' 

Capital FM Kenya

Ayra Starr.

11 June 2025

Premium Times (Abuja)

By Omotoyosi Idowu

The superstar beat Tyla, Rema, Black Sherif, Uncle Waffles, and the other six nominees to win the category.

Sarah Aderibigbe, professionally known as Ayra Starr, won the 2025 BET 'Best International Act' at the 25th edition of the award on Monday.

Ayra Starr was announced the winner at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, United States, ahead of other African nominees in the same category.

The superstar beat Tyla, Rema, Black Sherif, Uncle Waffles, and the other six nominees to win the category.

Ayra Starr

With her BET 2025 success, she has officially joined the league of African acts that have won the BET 'Best International Act' award after Davido (2018), Burna Boy (2019, 2020, 2021), Tems (2022), Burna Boy (2023), and Tyla (2024).

Ayra Starr has emerged as one of the breakout stars of African music, particularly at the Headies and BET Awards. At the 17th Headies in April 2025, the songwriter's collaboration 'Last Heartbreak Song' with American singer Giveon Evans scooped 'Best R&B Single'.

The Marvin Records' signee previously claimed the 'Viewer's Choice Award' in 2022 for 'Bloody Samaritan'.

Her songs also accumulated notable figures on Spotify in previous years, with 'Santa' (695 million), 'Rush' (470 million), and 'Commas' (115 million). The 'Rush' crooner's recent singles, 'All the Love' and 'Gimme Dat' featuring Wizkid, also surpassed 12 million and 16 million streams, respectively, on Spotify, while the latter charted at No.4 on the UK Afrobeats chart.

The 22-year-old's 2024 album, 'The Year I Turned 21', reached No.1 on Nigeria's Spotify album chart and peaked at No.80 on the UK Official Albums Chart.