Filipino American rapper wins Tiny Desk Contest with trilingual song

Ruby Ibarra, a Filipina American rapper and spoken word artist from the Bay Area, has won NPR’s 2025 Tiny Desk Contest with her trilingual performance of “Bakunawa.”

Why it matters: The win brings national attention to Filipino American artistry and highlights Ibarra’s unique fusion of music, language and cultural storytelling.

Driving the news: “Bakunawa,” which fuses English, Tagalog and Waray, draws on Philippine folklore and was recorded during Ibarra’s pregnancy. The track features an all-Filipina cast and ends with her unborn daughter’s heartbeat, sampled from a prenatal ultrasound.

What they’re saying: “Motherhood will definitely steer and drive the direction of how I approach music making,” Ibarra told Grammy. “I’m also asking myself, are these songs I would want to show my own daughter?” NPR’s Bobby Carter praised the performance for its authenticity and emotional depth, saying, “We’ve never seen or heard anything like Ruby.”

What’s next: Ibarra will perform her winning set at NPR’s Washington, D.C., headquarters and headline a 10-city Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour starting June 11 in Los Angeles.