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Ayra Starr
Ayra Starr is the professional name of Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, a Nigerian singer-songwriter and Mavin Records artist associated with Afrobeats, Afropop and R&B. Her public profile rests on releases including the EP “Ayra Starr,” the albums “19 & Dangerous” and “The Year I Turned 21,” the international performance of “Rush,” and Grammy nominations listed by the Recording Academy.
Star Mover ranking
Rank #1 in Music
16.1 points
Profile
About Ayra Starr
Profile information current to .
Nigeria · Singer, Songwriter, Recording artist
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- Singer
- Songwriter
- Recording artist
At a glance
- Ayra Starr is documented by official and industry sources as the professional name of Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe.
- Mavin Records’ official artist page presents her as an artist on its roster as of the supplied 2026 access date.
- Her recorded catalogue in the supplied evidence includes the 2021 self-titled EP, the 2021 album “19 & Dangerous,” and the 2024 album “The Year I Turned 21.”
- The Official Charts Company lists “Rush” as reaching No. 22 on the UK Official Singles Chart and No. 1 on the Official Afrobeats Chart.
- GRAMMY.com lists Ayra Starr with zero Grammy wins and nominations for “Rush” in 2024 and “Gimme Dat” with Wizkid in 2026.
Identity and background
Ayra Starr is the stage name used publicly by Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe. Apple Music identifies her as born on June 14, 2002, in Cotonou, Benin, while Mavin Records and The Guardian also place Cotonou or Benin in her early background. The supplied sources describe an upbringing connected to Cotonou or Benin and Lagos, with Teen Vogue reporting her account of growing up across Benin, Abuja and Lagos. Her work is presented across Afrobeats, Afropop and R&B contexts.
Entry into recording career
The available sources consistently connect Ayra Starr’s early label contact to Don Jazzy and Mavin Records after music she posted on Instagram or social media drew attention. The exact signing chronology is not settled across the supplied evidence, but her Mavin affiliation and early recorded output are well supported. Apple Music lists the self-titled “Ayra Starr - EP” as released on January 22, 2021, and “19 & Dangerous” as released on August 6, 2021.
Breakout recognition and chart visibility
Ayra Starr’s wider international profile is strongly tied in the supplied evidence to “Rush.” The Official Charts Company lists the song’s UK chart performance, including a No. 22 peak on the Official Singles Chart and No. 1 on the Official Afrobeats Chart. In 2023, BET named her as a Best International Act nominee, and MTV listed her in the VMAs Best Afrobeats category for “Rush” and for Wizkid’s “2 Sugar” featuring Ayra Starr.
Albums and award-record milestones
After “19 & Dangerous,” Apple Music lists “The Year I Turned 21” as released on May 30, 2024. Mavin Records and The Guardian state that the album made Ayra Starr the first Nigerian female artist to debut on the Billboard 200. The Recording Academy’s artist page lists “Rush” as a 2024 Best African Music Performance nominee and “Gimme Dat” by Ayra Starr and Wizkid as a 2026 nominee in the same category; the same page listed no Grammy wins as of the supplied access date.
Place in contemporary Afrobeats
Music Week and Teen Vogue frame Ayra Starr as part of a newer generation of young female artists gaining visibility in Afrobeats, a field often described in international coverage as male-dominated. Teen Vogue also reports that she speaks Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, English and French, a background detail that sits alongside the cross-border upbringing described in the supplied sources.
Timeline
- Posted the song later known as “Toxic” online; Apple Music materials say Don Jazzy saw it and invited her to the studio.
- Released the self-titled debut EP “Ayra Starr - EP” through Mavin Global Holdings.
- Released the official debut album “19 & Dangerous.”
- BET announced Ayra Starr of Nigeria as a 2023 Best International Act nominee.
- MTV announced that Ayra Starr was nominated in the 2023 Video Music Awards Best Afrobeats category for “Rush” and for Wizkid’s “2 Sugar” featuring Ayra Starr.
- The Recording Academy lists “Rush” as a 2024 Grammy nominee in Best African Music Performance.
- Released the sophomore album “The Year I Turned 21.”
- Mavin and The Guardian state that “The Year I Turned 21” made Ayra Starr the first Nigerian female artist to debut on the Billboard 200.
- The Recording Academy lists “Gimme Dat” by Ayra Starr and Wizkid as a 2026 Best African Music Performance nominee.
Additional verified details
Current context
- As of the accessed Recording Academy artist page, Ayra Starr has zero Grammy wins and listed Grammy nominations for 2024 “Rush” and 2026 “Gimme Dat” with Wizkid. Based on the GRAMMY.com artist page accessed on 2026-08-09; award records can change with future Grammy cycles.
- Mavin Records’ official artist page continues to present Ayra Starr as an artist associated with Mavin. The page appears partly stale on age, so use it for label affiliation and label claims but not for current age.
- Official Charts Company’s Ayra Starr history page lists her UK chart appearances, including “Rush” peaking at No. 22 on the Official Singles Chart and No. 1 on the Official Afrobeats Chart. Chart-history pages may update if new releases chart.
- Mavin describes Ayra Starr as the voice behind “Rush” and states that it is the most-streamed solo song by a female Nigerian artist on Spotify. This is a label-published claim and should be presented with attribution unless independently verified against Spotify data.
Biographical facts
- Ayra Starr is the professional name of Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe.
- Apple Music identifies her as born on June 14, 2002, in Cotonou, Benin; Mavin and The Guardian also identify Cotonou, Benin, as her birthplace or childhood base.
- Multiple sources describe her upbringing as spanning Cotonou or Benin and Lagos, Nigeria; Teen Vogue reports that she described growing up in Benin, Abuja and Lagos.
- Teen Vogue reports that Ayra Starr can speak Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, English and French.
- Mavin, Teen Vogue, Music Week and Apple Music materials connect her discovery or early label contact to Don Jazzy seeing an original song she had posted on Instagram or social media.
- Music Week and Teen Vogue frame Ayra Starr as part of a newer wave of young female artists gaining prominence in Afrobeats, a space often presented in international coverage as male-dominated.
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- Mavin Records Artist present
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