Afrobeats sensation Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, widely known as Ayra Starr, achieved a monumental milestone in her career by winning her first-ever BET Award. The 22-year-old Nigerian singer was crowned Best International Act at the 2025 BET Awards, a prestigious ceremony celebrating Black excellence in music, film, sports, and culture. The event was held on Monday night, June 9, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, and was hosted by actor and comedian Kevin Hart, who returned to the role after his first hosting gig in 2011.

Ayra Starr's victory was hard-fought, as she emerged victorious from a highly competitive category that featured prominent global artists. The nominees she surpassed included fellow Nigerian and Mavin Records labelmate Rema, South Africa’s Tyla, Ghana’s Black Sherif, Any Gabrielly (Brazil), Basky (UK), Ezra Collective (UK), Joé Dwèt Filé (France), MC Luanna (Brazil), SDM (France), and Uncle Waffles (Swaziland). This win underscores the growing global impact of Afrobeats and Ayra Starr's significant contribution to the genre.

This award marks a significant peak in Ayra Starr's consistent presence at the BET Awards. Since her debut nomination in 2022 for Best New International Act, she has been a regular on the nominees list. She received another nomination for Best International Act in 2023 and a BET Her Award nomination in 2024 for her song ‘Commas.’ In 2025, she led the Nigerian contingent with an impressive three nominations, the most for any Nigerian artist that year.

The news of Ayra Starr's win was met with widespread celebration, notably from American rap icon Jay-Z’s record label, Roc Nation, which posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Congrats to @ayrastarr on winning her first @BET Award.” This accomplishment is particularly historic as Ayra Starr becomes the second Nigerian female artist to win the Best International Act award, following Tems. She joins an esteemed list of Nigerian artists who have previously received this honor, including 2Baba, D'banj, Ice Prince, Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy. Furthermore, at 22, the Marvin Records artiste has been cited as the youngest Nigerian to win in this category.

The 2025 BET Awards also saw American rapper Kendrick Lamar emerge as the night's biggest winner, sweeping four major categories. Lamar took home awards for Album of the Year for 'GNX', Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year for ‘Not Like Us’, and Best Collaboration for ‘Luther’ with SZA.

Other notable winners at the ceremony included SZA, who won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, and Chris Brown, who secured awards for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist and the Viewer’s Choice Award for ‘Residuals.’ In the film categories, Denzel Washington was honored as Best Actor, Cynthia Erivo won Best Actress, and 'Luther: Never Too Much' was named Best Movie. Other significant awards included Best Group for Future & Metro Boomin, Best Female Hip Hop Artist for Doechii, Best New Artist for Leon Thomas, and the BET Her Award for Summer Walker for ‘Heart of a Woman’.

The Nigerian music scene was further represented with nominations for other talented artists. Seyi Vibez and Shallipopi were among the nominees in categories such as Best New Artist and Best New International Act, with Shallipopi specifically listed in the Best New International Act category, which was won by Ajuliacosta from Brazil.

Ayra Starr's international recognition extends beyond the BET Awards. Earlier in 2025, she made history at the MOBO Awards by becoming the first woman in 16 years to win Best African Music Act, a significant achievement highlighting her rising global profile and the breaking of a long-standing trend in that award category.

This BET Award win solidifies Ayra Starr's position as one of the most influential young African artists on the global stage. Her celestial voice, bold fashion, and impactful music continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, signaling an even brighter future for the Afrobeats star.