Ayra Starr Breaks 16-year Jinx As First Woman to Win MOBO Best Int’l Act

The British MOBO Awards, which recognize accomplishments in "music of Black origins," have awarded Afrobeats diva Ayra Starr the Best International Act prize this year.

Her achievement breaks the 16-year jinx, as this accolade has long eluded numerous African female performers. In a crowded field of nominations, including American musicians Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion, South African pop-piano sensation Tyla, and two-time Grammy winner Tems, Starr emerges victorious.

With two Grammy awards under her belt, Starr has released her sophomore album, The Year I Turned 21. Surprisingly, she has performed all around the world, including Glastonbury and other famous festivals, while touring the album. This year, she will accompany the legendary British pop-rock group Coldplay on their stadium tour.

The most recent indication that the Nigerian singer is headed toward her own brand of glory is Starr's MOBO victory.

Nigerian celebrities have left their mark at the MOBO Awards over the years. The first Nigerian to win the Best African Act award was Tuface Idibia in 2007. In 2009, Nneka, a Nigerian-German conscious musician, won the Best International Act prize. In 2012, the kokomaster D'banj took home the Best African Act honor. Wizkid, a Grammy-winning Afrobeat artist, took home the Best International Act and Best African Act awards in 2016 and 2020, respectively. In the year 2017, Davido won the Best African Act title.