Among the African nominees, Ayra Starr shines with three nods across major categories — ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist’, ‘Best New Artiste’, and ‘Best International Act’ — following a year marked by international chart success and critical acclaim.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
African stars: Burna Boy, Tems, Ayra Starr, Tyla, Rema, Black Sherif, Shallipopi, Odeal, Maglera Doe Boy, Uncle Waffles, Dlala Thukzin, Abigail Chams, and TxC have all earned nominations for the 2025 edition of the BET Awards, further cementing the continent’s growing influence on global music and pop culture.
Among the African nominees, Ayra Starr shines with three nods across major categories — ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist’, ‘Best New Artiste’, and ‘Best International Act’ — following a year marked by international chart success and critical acclaim.
Tems follows with two nominations in the ‘BET Her’ category for her empowering tracks “Burning” and “Hold On”, both from her debut album, Born in The Wild. These recognitions reaffirm her status as one of the most vital voices in contemporary R&B and Afro-Soul.
African acts also dominate the ‘Best New International Act’ category, with Nigeria’s Shallipopi joining Odeal, Maglera Doe Boy, Abigail Chams, and Dlala Thukzin in a diverse lineup of fresh talent pushing sonic boundaries across the globe.
Beyond the music sphere, British-Nigerian actress and singer, Cynthia Erivo, picked up two nominations — one in the ‘Best Actress’ category and another under ‘BET Her’ for her stirring duet “Defying Gravity” with Ariana Grande.
The 2025 BET Awards will air live on Sunday, June 9, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be hosted by comedian and actor Kevin Hart.
The BET Awards is an American award show established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television, to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports, and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annually, are broadcast live on BET.
Check out the complete list of nominees here.