Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Ayra Starr, the celestial queen of Afrobeats!
The Nigerian superstar just made history at the 2025 MOBO Awards, becoming the first woman in 16 years to bag Best African Music Act! But she didn’t stop there—Ayra also snatched the Best International Music Act award, proving that African music is running the world!
The competition was fierce, with Ayra beating top-tier stars like Asake, Tems, Rema, and Tyla in the African category. And when it came to the International Act award, she edged out global heavyweights Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, and Latto—yeah, you read that right!
This win puts Ayra Starr in an elite league with Wizkid (2017, 2021) and Burna Boy (2020, 2022) as the only Nigerian artists to claim the MOBO Best International Act award!
The glitzy ceremony, hosted by Indiyah Polack and Eddie Kadi, celebrated the best of Black music and culture. MOBO’s official X (Twitter) account hyped up Ayra’s win, calling her a “global star and unstoppable force!”
In her acceptance speech, an emotional and visibly shaken Ayra said:
“This is my first MOBO! Make some noise! I am actually shaking right now… Thank you to my team, my amazing MOB-STARS, my studio partners in crime, my label MAVINS, my producers, and of course, my mommy! Thank you, MOBOs!”
The MOBO stage also saw stars like Darkoo, who took home Best Female Act, alongside winners like Bashy and Odeal. The celebration continued with MOBO praising their stars for pushing the culture forward!
Since 1996, the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards has been championing Black artists across genres like hip-hop, R&B, reggae, gospel, and Afrobeats. Ayra’s groundbreaking win is yet another testament to the unstoppable rise of African music on the global stage!
One thing is clear—Ayra Starr is not just a rising star; she’s a supernova!
