2025 BET Awards: Ayra Starr wins ‘Best International Act’ (FULL WINNERS LIST)

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.

BET Awards

The BET Awards, established in 2001 by Black Entertainment Television, celebrate Black and minority excellence in music, film, sports, and philanthropy.

The 25th edition was held on 9 June at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, with Kevin Hart as host. It was celebrated to mark the 25th anniversary and reunion of previous winners. In the 2025 BET Awards, Kendrick Lamar led with ten nominations and took home five awards.

The American rapper secured four major awards including Album of the Year for ‘GNX’, Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year for the hit “Not Like Us”, and Best Collaboration with SZA for their soulful track ‘Luther’.

Overall, the 37-year-old emerged as the night’s top winner with five awards out of ten nominations.

The other winners that shone at the 2025 BET awards are highlighted below;

Album of the Year

$ome $exy $ ome$exy$onks 4 U — Drake & Partynextdoor
11:11 Deluxe — Chris Brown
Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii
Cowboy Carter — Beyoncé
Glorious — GloRilla
WINNER: GNX — Kendrick Lamar
Hurry Up Tomorrow — The Weeknd
We Don’t Trust You — Future & Metro Boomin

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Ari Lennox
Ayra Starr
Coco Jones
Kehlani
Muni Long
Summer Walker
WINNER: SZA
Victoria Monét

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Bruno Mars
WINNER: Chris Brown
Drake
Fridayy
Leon Thomas
Teddy Swims
The Weeknd
Usher

Best Group

41
Common & Pete Rock
Drake & Partynextdoor
Flo
WINNER: Future & Metro Boomin
Jacquees & Dej Loaf
Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist
Maverick City Music

Best Collaboration

“30 For 30” — SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Alter Ego” — Doechii feat. JT
“Are You Even Real” — Teddy Swims feat. Givēon
“Beckham” — Dee Billz feat. Kyle Richh, Kai Swervo, KJ Swervo
Bless — Lil Wayne, Wheezy & Young Thug
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin, & Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: “Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Sticky” — Tyler, The Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne
“Timeless” — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Cardi B
WINNER: Doechii
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Rapsody
Sexyy Red

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

BigXthaPlug
Bossman DLow
Burna Boy
Drake
Future
WINNER: Kendrick Lamar
Key Glock
Lil Wayne
Tyler, The Creator

Video of the Year

“3AM in Tokyo” — Key Glock
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
“After Hours” — Kehlani
“Denial Is a River” — Doechii
“Family Matters” — Drake

WINNER: “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Timeless” — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti
“Type Shit” — Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti

Video Director of the Year

Anderson.Paak
B Pace Productions & Jacquees
Benny Boom
Cactus Jack
Cole Bennett
WINNER: Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Dave Meyers
Foggieraw
Tyler, The Creator

READ ALSO: 2025 MOBO Awards: Ayra Starr makes history with standout win ( Full Winners List)

Best New Artist

41
Ayra Starr
BigXthaPlug
BossMan Dlow
Dee Billz
WINNER: Leon Thomas
October London
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

“A God (There Is)” — Common & Pete Rock feat. Jennifer Hudson
“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.
“Better Days” — Fridayy
“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams feat. Sir The Baptist & Donald Lawrence (Terry Hunter Remix)
“Constant” — Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore & Anthony Gargiula
“Deserve to Win” — Tamela Mann
“Faith” — Rapsody
WINNER: “Rain Down on Me” — GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music

Viewer’s Choice Award

WINNER: “Residuals” — Chris Brown
“Denial Is a River” — Doechii
“Nokia” — Drake
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar
“TGIF” — GloRilla
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Brokey” — Latto

Any Gabrielly (Brazil)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Basky (UK)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Ezra Collective (UK)
Joé Dwèt Filé (France)
MC Luanna (Brazil)
Rema (Nigeria)
SDM (France)
Tyla (South Africa)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)

Best New International Act
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Ajulicosta (Brazil)
Amabbi (Brazil)
Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)
Dr Yaro (France)
KWN (UK)
Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)
Merveille (France)
Odeal (UK)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
TxC (South Africa)

BET Her

“Beautiful People” — Mary J. Blige
“Blackbird” — Beyonce feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts
“Bloom” — Doechii
“Burning” — Tems
“Defying Gravity” — Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande
WINNER: “Heart of a Woman” — Summer Walker
“Hold On” — Tems
“In My Bag” — Flo & GloRilla

Best Movie

Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
WINNER: Luther: Never Too Much
Mufasa: The Lion King
One of Them Days
Rebel Ridge
The Piano Lesson
The Six Triple Eight

Best Actor

Aaron Pierce
Aldis Hodge
Anthony Mackie
Colman Domingo
WINNER: Denzel Washington
Jamie Foxx
Joey Bada$$
Kevin Hart
Sterling K. Brown
Will Smith

Best Actress

Andra Day
Angela Bassett
Coco Jones
WINNER: Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer
Kerry Washington
Quinta Brunson
Viola Davis
Zendaya

Young Stars Award

Akira Akbar
WINNER: Blue Ivy Carter
Graceyn “Gracie” Hollingsworth
Heiress Harris
Melody Hurd
Thaddeus J. Mixson
Tyrik Johnson
VanVan

Sportswoman of the Year Award

A’ja Wilson
WINNER: Angel Reese
Claressa Shields
Coco Gauff
Dawn Staley
Flau’jae Johnson
Juju Watkins
Sha’Carri Richardson
Simone Biles

Sportsman of the Year

Aaron Judge
Anthony Edwards
Deion Sanders
WINNER: Jalen Hurts
Jayson Tatum
LeBron James
Saquon Barkley
Stephen Curry