Ayra Starr has won her first BET award after clinching the highly coveted Best International Act Award. The Afrobeats star beat out strong competition, which included Mavin Records labelmate Rema, last year's winner Tyla, Ghanaian maverick Black Sherif, and Uncle Waffles, among others.

The win was well celebrated by multiple sections of the homebound and international audience, as Ayra Starr has often been nominated for top international awards, including the BET and Grammys, but had previously come second to other artists. This feels like a deserved win, especially considering the quietly purposeful year Starr has been having. A few weeks ago, she performed at a New Balance event, and her two singles, the Valentine anthem "All The Love" and the Wizkid-featured "Gimme Dat," have been doing very well on the charts.

As expected, Ayra's BET nod has opened up a flurry of conversations. One of those is Jay-Z's Roc Nation congratulating Ayra Starr via their X account. This move has sparked speculation about whether the label has signed the Nigerian star or has some ongoing business in the background.

It is known that since the 2010s, Mavin CEO Don Jazzy has maintained a connection with his Roc Nation counterpart, with Jay-Z reportedly sending members of his team, including the rapper Jay Electronica, to scout for Nigerian talent. This visit also resulted in a song.

A more pressing commentary on Ayra's BET win is that her award was presented to her backstage despite her presence at the event, which was held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. People have noted how Wizkid once criticized international award shows for their reluctance to appreciate African acts on the same stages as their international colleagues, an act the Afrobeats veteran labeled as "rubbish."

Ayra Starr has also insisted on being properly recognized for her work, criticizing Nigeria's premier music awards, the Headies, in 2023 for awarding her Best Female Act after the event had concluded. "We didn't deserve such nonchalance!" she wrote in a post on X afterward. It remains to be seen how she will respond to BET's action, but such actions should have no place in the music industry, especially in a globalized scene that owes its success to the efforts of players from around the world.

Beyond Ayra's win, Africa had further reason to celebrate as the Amapiano women DJ duo TxC snagged the coveted Best New International Act, joining their respected South African forebears like Black Coffee and Sho Madjozi who have won the BET in previous years.

Cynthia Erivo, the British actor of Nigerian descent, was also awarded Best Actress, cementing her place as one of the faces of contemporary Black cinema. Erivo has had a phenomenal year, earning critical acclaim and multiple prestigious nominations for her powerhouse performance as Elphaba in the blockbuster musical "Wicked," including Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG, and Critics' Choice nominations for Best Actress.

OkayAfrica was on the ground, capturing the energy and excitement of African talent on the red carpet. We spoke with several of the continent's brightest stars.

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British Sudanese sensation Elmiene gave us an exclusive moment before his beautiful performance on the BET stage.

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The duo TxC was excited to be there and wished that everyone could experience the energizing atmosphere. “It is crazy! Being here, seeing everybody, the atmosphere … everything that is happening right now. I feel like everybody should experience this,” one of them tells OkayAfrica.

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Ghana's Black Sherif shared with us the exact moment he learned about his nomination.

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Buju Banton, a towering figure in reggae, also took time to connect.

Kehinde Alabi, better known as Louddaaa, interned as a sound engineer in Port Harcourt before moving to Lagos about five years ago. He started seeking employment as a sound engineer since it seemed production didn't make sense — he hadn't produced in over a year as production jobs weren't readily available. He submitted his CVs to studios, companies, and radio stations, but "they all rejected me," Louddaaa recalls in a recent Zoom conversation with OkayAfrica.

A friend would send him a vacancy post that turned out to be Mavin Records. "Are these people trying to scam me or something?" he remembers thinking, but he sent his credentials and got the job after a series of interviews. "It was a miracle," he says, "and I told myself I would be the best recording engineer ever because it felt like a second chance for me. I had hope again."

The journey to becoming a producer was even more interesting, relates Louddaaa. He selected beats and recorded the Mavin Records artists, but stayed back after every session to arrange beats. Due to his residence being on the Mainland, going to the other side of Lagos was stressful each evening. While making beats one night, Don Jazzy entered the studio and heard something he was making. "Can we try Ayra [Starr] on this?" the don asked, and soon enough, Louddaaa got locked in with the newly minted star, whose debut EP and album he would significantly influence.

Still, Louddaaa was unconvinced he was a producer. Sometimes, he flunked the producer sessions he was booked for since he didn't think he could replicate the genius of Ayra Starr's songs. "Working with her was different; we had a deep connection," he would explain. "It was easy; there was no tension. We simply exchanged ideas. They were ideas that took us six months to create; now you want me to create a beat on the spot?"

"It took a while for me to start playing that role of a producer," he says, "because I kept telling myself: 'I don't know why they love this thing that I'm doing. What do they like? This is not really making sense to me.' I wasn't sure about myself. It took me a while to say, 'Bro, it's happening already. They like this."

Since those days of uncertainty, Louddaaa has imprinted his sound more visibly on the colorful skies of contemporary Afrobeats. Shining with a deeply personal energy, the mellow and measured quality of Louddaaa's sound has shaped the early careers of new-age Mavin artists, from Magixx to Bayanni and Boy Spyce. This isn't a mere coincidence, he tells OkayAfrica. "Whenever I want to work with an artist, the first thing I do is try to engage them," he says. "I have a conversation with them and understand where they are. Then I try to create a sound based on all the information I have that I think is unique to your story."

He applied the same approach with Davido, collaborating on two tracks for his recent album, 5IVE. Louddaaa had tried connecting with the star in 2021 and subsequent years, but nothing came out of those efforts. Then, in February of last year, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit — Louddaaa is a firm believer — to create music for Davido, which he collaborated on with his friend, Dayo Grey.

"I was very intentional," he says. "I listen to David a lot, and I have an idea of where he is based on all the songs and features he has done in the past. I also have an idea of where he should be in terms of music, and I just put all those things together."

They made 'Anything,' which stands out as an exceptional high point even among an album characterized by its triumphant moments. Davido had committed to recording the track, and Louddaaa still had many ideas to explore. He wanted something vintage for Davido, a beat with the rustic qualities of the classic "Aye," whose chorus he enthusiastically sings. "I told him, let's go back to that old David," he explains. "Let's create a 2024 record that has an element of the old David but still feels good for this age that we're in. That's how we made '10 Kilo,' I sent it to my songwriter friend, and he came up with some ideas, the melodies, and everything."

Louddaaa orchestrated the record. "I remember when I first sent the beat for 'Anything' to my songwriter, the first thing they wrote, I was like 'nah, this is not it,' because I had an idea what I wanted him to sound like: a Davido and Louddaaa song," he attests. "Everything that you guys hear now, to the glory of God, was something that I envisioned. In terms of the writing, production, and everything, we tried different ideas."

It's clear that Louddaaa isn't just another producer — he's a designer of entire soundscapes. "I call myself an 'A&R' in quotes," he says, "not an official A&R, but I have this ear to design a sound that is unique for an artist." More artists now want the sauce; between last year and now, his roster includes the likes of Lojay, Chike, Black Sherif, and Simi, whose latest album featured nine tracks from Louddaaa. Most of these artists share a soulful core; Louddaaa says the inspiration pulls both ways.

"It's from my end, first of all," he says. "My sound is born from my life experiences. I've gone through so many dark things in my life that I can't even go into details right now. My life is a rollercoaster. Growing up, music was like a coping mechanism for me. It was what I used to bury most of the things I was dealing with as a child and as a teenager. Every time I make music, I connect it to one of those things. I'm saying something, but it's with music. One of my biggest testimonies is when people listen to my music, they tell me they love it, it's so soulful, it's so emotional. And I'm like, 'Thank you, Jesus.' Because that was my goal — I want you to feel something."