Filipina-American rapper Ruby Ibarra has been hailed the winner of the 2025 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, beating out nearly 7,500 independent artists from across the U.S.—a record-breaking year for submissions.

Ibarra, who hails from the Bay Area, captured judges’ attention with her powerful, multilayered performance of “Bakunawa,” a song inspired by pre-colonial Filipino mythology and the experience of becoming a first-time mother.

“The Bakunawa is a dragon who swallows the moon,” Ibarra explained in her interview with NPR’s Juana Summers. “I interpreted it as a metaphor for resistance and a battle cry against erasure.”

Written while she was pregnant with her daughter, the song weaves together Tagalog, Bisaya, and English lyrics—marking the first time a winning Tiny Desk entry featured three languages. “It was very important to me that we had to showcase other Filipino languages,” Ibarra said. “Even in the Philippines, Tagalog dominates mainstream media. I wanted to challenge that.”

Performing with an all-female band, Ibarra said the process was deeply personal. “It totally changed my perspective as a person and as a songwriter,” she shared. “I want to create songs I can share with my daughter—stories that spark dialogue between us.”

Ibarra’s winning performance of “Bakunawa” is now available to watch on the NPR Music website, and fans can catch her on tour later this summer.