Azah Awasum, a first-generation American reality TV star, singer, and producer, finished third on Big Brother 23 and is a member of the historic Cookout alliance. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, to a Cameroonian family, she has over 300 cousins. Her grandfather, a polygamist with six wives and 47 children, shaped her comfort in large social settings.
Early Life and Family Roots
Azah introduced herself to CBS audiences as a first-generation American with Cameroonian origins. Her father served as a pastor. Her grandfather held a seat in Parliament to the king and had six wives. Her father is one of 47 children, giving Azah over 300 cousins. She attended a Messianic Jewish school for primary education and later studied biomedical engineering.
In her CBS bio, Awasum revealed her name means "able to make friends." That quality proved essential in a game built on social bonds.
Big Brother 23 and The Cookout
Throughout Big Brother 23, Azah was a member of the dominant six-person alliance, the Cookout, working with Tiffany Mitchell, Hannah Chaddha, Kyland Young, Xavier Prather, and Derek Frazier. The alliance made history by crowning the show's first Black winner. Azah remained closely aligned with Derek Frazier and Britini D'Angelo, even offering to go on the block in Britini's place.
Azah advanced to finale night after Xavier Prather chose to evict Kyland Young over her. She initially planned to go to the final two with Derek F, but changed her mind to take Xavier. She finished third, the highest-placing woman that season. After Big Brother, she appeared on The Challenge: USA in 2022.
Singing Career and NFL Anthem
Azah's acting résumé lists four years of singing training as a mezzo-soprano, studying voice with Shannon Day, Shenita Hunt, and Sam Shin at the University of Miami. She also has live band experience across African, Caribbean, R&B, rock, and pop genres. In late 2025, she sang the national anthem at the Packers–Ravens game on Saturday, 27 December. She thanked fellow Cookout member Xavier Prather for helping make the performance happen. Hannah Chaddha wrote, "So proud of you Az (go big sis go big sis go)!!"
Entrepreneurship and Advocacy
Azah co-founded the cosmetics brand Mambaz Beauty with Lauren Rosetta; the pair were named among three finalists in the Guardian's My Side Hustle competition in 2016. She is an active social worker who participated in the International Development Association's "Give Me Hope" campaign and guided over 100 girls through the Bridge to Africa Connection programme, mentoring them on finance, education, and self-development.
Azah plays Kelli in the web series Jollof and Kimchi and is also a co-creator. The show draws on the "Jollof with Kimchi" movement, a campaign showing Afro-Korean fusion. In 2026, Jollof and Kimchi became the subject of a trademark dispute, with Kimchi & Jollof LLC filing a pending trademark application with the USPTO on 10 April 2026. Azah issued a video statement regarding the dispute and the origins of the term.
Net Worth and Recent Updates
No major publications report a verified figure for Azah's net worth. Smaller outlets estimate it between $100,000 and $500,000, drawing on her reality TV earnings, work as Director of Sales Operations, co-founding Mambaz Beauty, singing and acting engagements, and producing Jollof and Kimchi. Given the limited sourcing, treat this range as an estimate. Azah has visited approximately 60 countries and completes 100-mile cycling rides. She was a finalist at Miss Cameroon USA 2015 and reached the top five in Miss Maryland USA 2017.
