Ayra Starr leads BET African nominees

Nigerian artists are again gaining global recognition. BET announced the 2025 BET Awards nominees. Ayra Starr is the most nominated African artist. 

Other Nigerian stars like Burna Boy, Tems, Rema, and Shallipopi also received nominations. 

Ayra Starr got three nominations: Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Best New Artist, and Best International Act. The 21-year-old singer had a successful year with hit songs and praised performances. She recently won Best Female Artist at the Headies Awards. 

Tems earned two nominations in the BET Her category for her songs “Burning” and “Hold On.” Both tracks are from her debut album *Born In The Wild*. 

Burna Boy and Rema were nominated for Best International Act. Burna Boy has won this award four times before. 

Shallipopi, a rising star, got a nod for Best New International Act. He represents Nigeria’s new wave of talent. 

Other African nominees include South Africa’s Tyla and Uncle Waffles, Ghana’s Black Sherif, and Tanzania’s Abigail Chams. 

Kendrick Lamar leads overall with ten nominations. Doechii, Drake, Future, and GloRilla each have six. Metro Boomin has five. SZA and The Weeknd got four each. 

The BET Voting Academy, made up of industry experts, chose the nominees. The awards cover music, film, TV, and sports.

Here’s the **complete list of nominees** for the **2025 BET Awards** across all categories:

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**MUSIC CATEGORIES** 

**Best Female R&B/Pop Artist** 
– Ayra Starr 
– Beyoncé 
– Doja Cat 
– SZA 
– Tems 
– Victoria Monét 

**Best Male R&B/Pop Artist** 
– Brent Faiyaz 
– Burna Boy 
– Chris Brown 
– Drake 
– The Weeknd 
– Usher 

**Best Group** 
– Blxst & Bino Rideaux 
– Drake & 21 Savage 
– Flo 
– Jungle 
– Maverick City Music 
– WanMor 

**Best New Artist** 
– Ayra Starr 
– Fridayy 
– October London 
– Sexyy Red 
– Tyla 
– Uncle Waffles 

**Album of the Year** 
– *Born in the Wild* – Tems 
– *Cowboy Carter* – Beyoncé 
– *For All the Dogs* – Drake 
– *GNX* – Kendrick Lamar 
– *Hit Me Hard and Soft* – Billie Eilish 
– *Jaguar II* – Victoria Monét 

**Best International Act** 
– Ayra Starr (Nigeria) 
– Black Sherif (Ghana) 
– Burna Boy (Nigeria) 
– Rema (Nigeria) 
– Tyla (South Africa) 
– Uncle Waffles (South Africa) 

**Best New International Act** 
– Abigail Chams (Tanzania) 
– BNXN (Nigeria) 
– K.O (South Africa) 
– Shallipopi (Nigeria) 
– Young Stunna (South Africa) 
– Zuchu (Tanzania) 

**BET Her Award** 
– “16 Carriages” – Beyoncé 
– “Burning” – Tems 
– “Hold On” – Tems 
– “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét 
– “Saturn” – SZA 
– “Truth or Dare” – Tyla 

**Video of the Year** 
– “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar 
– “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar 
– “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét 
– “Sensational” – Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay 
– “Water” – Tyla 
– “Ye” – Burna Boy 

**Viewer’s Choice Award** 
– “Agora Hills” – Doja Cat 
– “IDGAF” – Drake ft. Yeat 
– “Me & U” – Tems 
– “Sensational” – Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay 
– “Water” – Tyla 
– “Ye” – Burna Boy 

**Best Collaboration** 
– “All My Life” – Lil Durk ft. J. Cole 
– “America Has a Problem” – Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar 
– “Sensational” – Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay 
– “Rich Baby Daddy” – Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA 
– “Water” – Tyla ft. Travis Scott 
– “Ye” – Burna Boy ft. Jeremih 

**Best Hip-Hop Artist** 
– Cardi B 
– Drake 
– Future 
– Kendrick Lamar 
– Latto 
– Nicki Minaj 

**Best Gospel/Inspirational Artist** 
– CeCe Winans 
– Kirk Franklin 
– Maverick City Music 
– Tasha Cobbs Leonard 
– Tems 
– Victoria Orenze 

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**FILM & ACTING CATEGORIES** 

#### **Best Movie** 
– *A Tribe Called Judah* 
– *Bob Marley: One Love* 
– *The Color Purple* 
– *Oppenheimer* 
– *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* 
– *The Little Mermaid* 

**Best Actor** 
– Colman Domingo 
– Damson Idris 
– Denzel Washington 
– Idris Elba 
– Jeffrey Wright 
– John Boyega 

**Best Actress** 
– Fantasia 
– Halle Bailey 
– Issa Rae 
– Regina King 
– Viola Davis 
– Zendaya 

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**SPORTS CATEGORIES** 

**Sportsman of the Year** 
– Giannis Antetokounmpo 
– LeBron James 
– Lionel Messi 
– Patrick Mahomes 
– Stephen Curry 
– Victor Osimhen 

**Sportswoman of the Year** 
– A’ja Wilson 
– Coco Gauff 
– Naomi Osaka 
– Sha’Carri Richardson 
– Simone Biles 
– Venus Williams 

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**SPECIAL HONORS** 
– **Lifetime Achievement Award** – *To be announced* 
– **Humanitarian Award** – *To be announced* 

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