Everyone has been waiting for The Headies and after a missed ceremony last year, the most anticipated award show in Nigerian music is finally back with a nominee announcement. The eligibility period set raised some eyebrows, they are considering music released within 1st of August 2024 and 30th April 2026—an almost two year “year in review.” Despite that we got some new names, especially those in the underground scene, garnering their first nominations and OGs like Wizkid nab 7 nods, the most for this edition.
This edition was originally scheduled to hold last December as part of the Detty December celebrations but failed to happen. Now, the ceremony is slated to be held on the 23rd of October in Toronto, Canada. Here is the complete list of all the nominees for the 18th edition of The Headies.
BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG
Luwa Mp4, Jeleel! – Cyk Baddie
Sewa – Lagos Lovin
Wizard Chan – Oliver
Blnde – Omo to sexy
Wave$tar – Prada Baby
Obongjayar – Sweet Danger
Chief Priest, Boypee, Zoro – Summer Adina
BEST ORIGINAL SONG FOR VISUAL MEDIA
All My Love — Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder, from Evi
Behind the Scenes — Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro, from Behind the Scenes
Save Me — Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba, from To Kill a Monkey
Only in Lagos — WurlD & Liya, from Christmas in Lagos
AFRICAN DIASPORA CANADIAN ARTISTE
Debby Friday — Lipsync
Tôme — CC ft Alpha P
Bolu Ajibade — Diana with Friyie
Nonso Amadi — Dive In
Rooky Kamiz — Deeper
Tobi — Out the Mud
EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Bien (Kenya)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
KiDi (Ghana)
King Promise (Ghana)
Moliy (Ghana)
Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE
Balti (Tunisia)
Dystinct (Morocco)
Marwan Moussa (Egypt)
Soolking (Algeria)
Tul8te (Egypt)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)
CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE
Fally Ipupa (DR Congo)
Ferré Gola (DR Congo)
Héritier Watanabe (DR Congo)
Hiro (DR Congo)
Innoss’B (DR Congo)
Locko (Cameroon)
BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE
Amioluwa — Sunmisola Agbebi ft Yinka Okeleye
Favour — Lawrence Oyor
Idinma (You Are Good) — Sinach
Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) — EmmaOMG
No Turning Back 2 — Gaise Baba ft Lawrence Oyor
We Move — Mercy Chinwo
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
10 Kilo (Davido) — Director Pink
Afroculture (Flavour, Baaba Maal) — TG Omori
Bundle by Bundle (Burna Boy) — DK
Kai (Olamide, Wizkid) — Jyde Ajala
Whos Dat Girl (Ayra Starr, Rema) — Meji Alabi
With You (Davido, Omah Lay) — Dammy Twitch
BEST RAP ALBUM
Tuff King – Black Sheepizen
AQ- GE3
Erigga – G.O.A.T
Jeriq – King
Blaqbonez – No excuses
Odumodublvck – The machine is coming
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
LAYEFA – 6:35
AMAEYA – How do you?
Sewa – Lagos Lovin
Qing Madi – Scumbag
Liya – Skin to Skin
Tiwa Savage – You4me
BEST COLLABORATION
CKay & Mavo — Body (Danz)
Mavo & Wave$tar — Escaladizzy
Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — Hey Jago
Fola, Kizz Daniel – Lost
Odumodublvck & Victony — Pity This Boy
Davido & Omah Lay — With You
Mr Eazi & King Promise — See What We’ve Done
Chief Priest & Spyki — Finally
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
Adekunle Gold – Im not done
Flavour – Orente
Magixx – Winter & Summer
Odeal – Patience
Syemca – Love Egbugomo
Tay Iwar – Bad Belle
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Ciara
Dave
Gunna
Jazmine Sullivan
Shenseea
Tiakola
BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTIST
Ciza
DJ Maphorisa
JAZZWRLD
Kabza De Small
Tyla
Uncle Waffles
AFROBEATS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Davido – 5ive
Bnxn – Captain
Omah Lay – Clarity of Mind
Adekunle Gold – Fuji
Wizkid – Morayo
Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness
BEST RAP SINGLE
2:02PM in London — ODUMODUBLVCK
ACL — Blaqbonez
Man2Man — Dremo
PDSTRN — Moshood
Nkemakonam — Tuff King
Wuse Tu — Zaylevelten, Mavo
John Wick — Zhus Jdo
BEST FEMALE ARTISTE
Ayra Starr
Qing Madi
Sewa
Tems
Teni
Tiwa Savage
BEST MALE ARTISTE
Adekunle Gold
Asake
FOLA
Mavo
Rema
Wizkid
Burna Boy
SONG WRITER OF THE YEAR
Adekunle Gold
Victony
Wizard Chan
FOLA
Kunmie
Amaeya
BEST STREET HOP ARTISTE
Famous Pluto
Kashcoming
Poco Lee
Seyi Vibez
Shallipoppi
TUFF KING
Rybeena
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Amma
Danpapa GTA
Firstklaz
Kidd Carder
NO11
Priesst
OG Abbah
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Fola – Catharsis
Omah Lay – Clarity of Mind
Erigga – G.O.A.T
Wizkid – Morayo
Odumodublvck – The Machine is Coming
Tiwa Savage – This One is Personal
Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness
NEXT RATED
Fido
FOLA
Llona
Mavo
Shoday
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Magicsticks
P. Priime
Ragee
Sarz
Tempoe
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Kunmie — Arike
Amaeya — How Do You?
Rema — Baby (Is It A Crime)
OMAH LAY ft. ELMAH — Coping Mechanism
Davido ft. OMAH LAY — With You
FOLA — you
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Showdemcamp – Afrika Magik
Sewa – Detox
Boj – Duplicity
Wizard Chan – Healers Chapel
Scottyolorin – Olorin Pack
Zaylevelten – Then 1t Got Crazy
HEADIES VIEWERS CHOICE
Ayra Starr — Hot Body
Mavo — Escaladizzy ft. WAVE$TAR
Davido — With You ft. OMAH LAY
Rema — Baby (Is It A Crime)
FOLA — you
Wizkid — Jogodo with Asake
Kunmie — Arike
BEST R&B ALBUM
Kunmie – Before We Became Strangers
Fola – Catharsis
Qing Madi – I am the Blueprint
Tems – Love is a kingdom
Tay Iwar – Reflection Station
Tiwa Savage – This one is personal
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
Blaqbonez – ACL
Dremo – Man2Man
Modenine – If you like Gym w/ Odumodublvck
Pdstrn – Moshood
Ycee – Man2man Remix w/ Dremo
SONG OF THE YEAR
Kunmie – Arike
Poco lee, Shoday, Rahman Jago – Hey Jago
Ayra Starr – Hot Body
Fido – Joy is Coming
Asake, Wizkid – MMS
Davido, Omah Lay – With You
BEST PERFORMER (LIVE)
Adekunle Gold – Live at National Theatre, Lagos
Asake – Red Bull Symphonic
Ayra Starr – Global Citizen Festival 2025
Johnny Drille – Johnny’s Room Live 6
Ruger – Live at Indigo at The O2, 2025
DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Asake
Ayra Starr
BNXN
Chella
FOLA
MAVO
Seyi Vibez
Wizkid
AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Rema – Fun
Wizkid, Asake – Jogodo
Fido – Joy is Coming
Davido, Omah Lay – With You
Fola – You
Burna Boy – Bundle by Bundle
