Her historic win continues a remarkable tradition of Nigerian talent being recognised on the global stage.

About the MOBO Awards

The MOBO Awards — short for Music of Black Origin — were founded in 1996 in the United Kingdom. It aims to recognize achievements in music genres rooted in Black culture. This includes hip‑hop, R&B, reggae, gospel, jazz, Afrobeats, and others. Over the years, the ceremony has become a key platform for showcasing African talent to a global audience.

Nigerian Artists Who Have Won Made MOBO Awards

2Baba — Best African Music Act (2007)

In 2007, 2Baba (popularly known as 2Face Idibia) became the first Nigerian artist to win a MOBO Award. This win marked a milestone for Nigerian pop music on the international stage.

9ice — Best African Music Act (2008)

In 2008, 9ice won Best African Music Act. It added to the success of his album Gongo Aso and affirmed Nigeria’s growing influence in African music.

Nneka — Best African Music Act (2009)

In 2009, Nneka Egbuna claimed Best African Music Act. This showcased the depth and diversity of Nigerian talent early in the MOBO Awards’ African category.

Wizkid — Multiple Wins (2011-2026)

Wizkid has been one of Nigeria’s most celebrated MOBO winners. He took home the Best African Music Act in 2011, 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2026. He also won Best International Act in 2017 and 2021, cementing his international influence.

D’banj — Best African Music Act (2012)

In 2012, D’banj won Best African Music Act, helping bring Afrobeats further into global consciousness.

Davido — Best African Music Act (2017)

In 2017, Davido won Best African Music Act at the MOBO Awards, a defining moment that reinforced Nigeria’s dominance in the category. His win came during a landmark year that also saw Wizkid take home Best International Act.

Burna Boy — Best African Music Act & Best International Act (2022)

Grammy-winning Burna Boy earned both Best African Music Act and Best International Act in 2022.

Asake — Best African Music Act (2024)

In 2024, Asake’s win for Best African Music Act reflected his creative breakout and the continent-wide appetite for his music.

Ayra Starr — Best African Music Act & Best International Act (2025, 2026)

Ayra Starr’s victories at the MOBO Awards highlight her versatility and influence. In 2025, she won both Best African Music Act and Best International Act. Making history as the first female artist to claim both titles in the same year. Her 2026 MOBO win for Best International Act reinforces her place as one of Afrobeats’ leading voices globally.

Across nearly two decades, Nigerian artists have consistently been recognised at the MOBO Awards. From 2Baba’s first breakthrough win to Wizkid and Ayra Starr’s recent streak, these wins reflect the growth of Nigerian music. They also show the world’s hunger for Nigerian storytelling through song.

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Wizkid beat a shortlist stacked with Nigerian and African talent: Davido, Rema, Shallipopi, Tiwa Savage, Adekunle Gold, Ayra Starr, Tyla, Joshua Baraka, and Moliy. This brings his MOBO total to seven, the most of any African artist on record. Ayra Starr defeated Cardi B, Gunna, Kehlani, Clipse, and others in the broader international field. It was her second straight win in the category after taking it in 2025.

The split is telling. Ayra Starr, at 23, has now joined Wizkid and Burna Boy as the only Nigerians with multiple Best International Act victories and the only woman in that group. In 2025 she also became the first African female to win Best African Music Act in 16 years. This year she lost that category back to Wizkid. The pattern is clear: the older guard still controls the home-territory prize, while the next generation is locking down the global one.

Nigerian acts have owned these two MOBO slots for years. Wizkid won both categories in 2021. Burna Boy cleaned up the international prize in 2020 and 2022. The 2026 results do not signal a changing of the guard so much as a division of labour. Afrobeats remains the dominant African export, but the domestic competition is brutal enough that no single artist sweeps both awards anymore. The nominees list itself—heavy with Lagos-based names—shows how concentrated the talent pool has become.

MOBO was created to platform Black British music and its diaspora sources. Giving separate recognition to the “African Music Act” alongside the wider “International Act” acknowledges that Afrobeats operates on its own scale and timeline. The wins do not change chart positions or streaming numbers, but they confirm that UK gatekeepers still treat Nigerian output as essential to the Black music conversation rather than a niche add-on.

The facts stand on their own: two Nigerian artists, two different categories, same outcome as the last several cycles—continued control of the categories built for them. The rest of the evening belonged to UK acts like Olivia Dean (Album and Song of the Year) and Central Cee (Hip-Hop), but the African and international slots stayed in Lagos. That is the story.

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