Two-time Grammy nominee Sarah Aderibigbe, popularly known as Ayra Starr, has named Burna Boy as the artiste she most wants to work with.
The ‘Sabi Girl’ made the disclosure during a Billboard interview shared on Thursday while speaking with Love Island USA star Chelley Bissainthe about her 2026 Grammy nominations.
“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with.
“I’ve collaborated with a lot of people, and I still want to collaborate with many more people,” Ayra Starr said.
Ayra Starr, 23, earned a nomination in the Best African Music Performance category for Gimme Dat, her collaboration with Wizkid released on April 25, 2025.
The nominations were announced in November 2025 ahead of the Grammy Awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Reacting to the recognition, the singer described the moment as reassurance in her career.
“I remember I was so excited. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. I knew it. I knew it.
“Every day I feel happy. I’m very grateful. Every day it’s like a new feeling, ‘Oh, I’m actually a two-time Grammy nominee,’” she said.
Comparing her first and second nominations, Ayra added, “The first time I got nominated, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I got nominated. This is crazy.’ But the second time felt like reassurance and just like, ‘Oh, I’m good at this. I know what I’m doing.’”
She continued, “Maybe I need to trust God and myself a bit more.”
Speaking on the inspiration behind Gimme Dat, which samples 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige, the singer said she only discovered the origin of the sample during the recording process.
“To be honest, I was born in 2002, so I didn’t really know exactly. I didn’t really know until I was recording the song and Don Jazzy was like, ‘Okay, this is a 911 sample.’ Then I went and did my research, and I was like, Wow,” she said.
68th Grammy Awards
The countdown to the 68th Grammy Awards has once again placed Nigerian music firmly in the global spotlight, with five Nigerian artistes nominated across major categories.
Burna Boy leads the Nigerian contingent with two nominations. He is nominated for Love in the Best African Music Performance category and No Sign of Weakness in the Best Global Music Album category, extending his run as one of Africa’s most consistent Grammy contenders.
Davido also returns to the Grammy conversation with a nomination for With You featuring Omah Lay, one of the lead singles from his album 5ive. In 2025, the song set a new record on Spotify Nigeria, recording 4.98 million streams in its first week.
Wizkid appears on the nominee list through his feature on Gimme Dat, adding another Grammy-linked credit to a catalogue already marked by wins and multiple nominations.
Omah Lay completes the Nigerian lineup through his feature on With You.
Beyond the current nominees, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti will also be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards. He will be recognised alongside Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher and Paul Simon at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony.
The 2026 Grammys will be hosted by Trevor Noah and broadcast live from Los Angeles.
