The 16th Headies Nominees | See Full List

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

“ALONE” – BURNA BOY
“SOWETO” – VICTONY & TEMPOE
“I’M A MESS” – OMAH LAY
“KU LO SA” – OXLADE
“STAND STRONG” – DAVIDO FT. SUNDAY SERVICE CHOIR
“NO WOMAN, NO CRY” – TEMS

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

MAGICSTICKS – SUNGBA REMIX (ASAKE)
PHEELZ – ELECTRICITY (PHEELZ FT DAVIDO)
ANDRE VIBEZ & LONDON – CALM DOWN (REMA)
TEMPOE – SOWETO (VICTONY & TEMPOE)
KEL-P – KPE PASO (WANDE COAL & OLAMIDE)
REXXIE – ABRACADABRA (REXXIE, NAIRA MARLEY, SKIIBII & WIZKID)

BEST RAP SINGLE

A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.

“HUSTLE” – REMINISCE
“BIG ENERGY” – LADIPOE
“BACK IN UNI” – BLAQBONEZ
“BANDO DIARIES” – PSYCHOYP
“DECLAN RICE” – ODUMODUBLVCK
“MY BRO” – JERIQ FT. PHYNO

BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
FOR MY HAND – BURNA BOY FT. ED SHEERAN
MMADU – CKAY
JUST 4 U – DAMI ONIRU
RED WINE – PREYE
HARD TO FIND – CHIKE – FT. FLAVOUR
LOYAL – SIMI FT. FAVE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

LOVE, DAMINI – BURNA BOY
MR MONEY WITH THE VIBE – ASAKE
RAVE AND ROSES – REMA
BOY ALONE – OMAH LAY
OUTLAW – VICTONY
TIMELESS – DAVIDO

AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR

“LAST LAST” – BURNA BOY
“RUSH” – AYRA STARR
“BUGA” – KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO
“FINESSE” – PHEELZ FT BNXN
“WHO’S YOUR GUY?” – SPYRO
“ASIWAJU” – RUGER

BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG

“EARTH SONG” – WIZARD CHAN
“FINAL CHAMPION” – CRUEL SANTINO
“THE TRAVELLER” – BASKETMOUTH FT THE CAVEMEN
“IN A LOOP” – BOJ FT MOLIY & MELLISSA
“GAME CHANGER” (DIKE) – FLAVOUR
“TINKO TINKO” – OBONGJAYAR

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)

OXLADE – “KU LO SA”
RIC HASSANI – “MY ONLY BABY”
MAGIXX – “LOVE DON’T COST A DIME”
CHIKE – “SPELL REMIX”
PRAIZ – “RECKLESS”
WANDE COAL – “KPE PASO”

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single or album.
NINIOLA – “MEMORIES”
SIMI – “LOYAL”
WAJE – “IN BETWEEN“
LIYA – “ADUA REMIX”
PREYE – “RED WINE”
DAMI ONIRU – “JUST 4 U”

BEST COLLABORATION

ASAKE FT. BURNA BOY – “SUNGBA REMIX”
BNXN FT KIZZ DANIEL & SEYI VIBEZ – “GWAGWALADA”
PHEELZ FT BNXN – “FINESSE”
SPYRO FT. TIWA SAVAGE – “WHO’S YOUR GUY REMIX”
PHEELZ FT DAVIDO – “ELECTRICITY”
WANDE COAL FT. OLAMIDE – “KPE PASO”

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

BLAQBONEZ – “BACK IN UNI” (BLAQBONEZ & PERLIKS)
TG OMORI – “PBUY” (ASAKE)
DIRECTOR PINK– “SPELL REMIX” (CHIKE & OXLADE)
TG OMORI – “BANDANA” (FIREBOY & ASAKE)
DIRECTOR K – “COMMON PERSON” (BURNA BOY)
DIRECTOR K – “CALM DOWN” (REMA)

BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE

REXXIE FT. NAIRA MARLEY & SKIIBII – “ABRACADABRA”
SEYI VIBEZ – “CHANCE (NA HAM)”
ASAKE – “JOHA”
ZLATAN FT. YOUNG JONN – “ASTALAVISTA”
POCO LEE & HOTKID – “OTILO”
MOHBAD – “PEACE”

BEST RAP ALBUM

FLY TALK ONLY – PAYPER CORLEONE
PALMWINE MUSIC VOL 3 – SHOW DEM CAMP
YOUNG PREACHER – BLAQBONEZ
YPSZN3 – PSYCHOYP
TESLIM: THE ENERGY STILL LIVES IN ME – VECTOR
BILLION DOLLAR DREAM – JERIQ

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM

HOROSCOPES – BASKETMOUTH
GBAGADA EXPRESS – BOJ
SOME NIGHTS I DREAM OF DOORS – OBONGJAYAR
SUBARU BOYS: FINAL HEAVEN – CRUEL SANTINO
HEART OF THE HEAVENLY UNDENIABLE – SOMADINA
NATIVE WORLD – NATIVE SOUND SYSTEM

BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best R&B album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

HOME – JOHNNY DRILLE

THE BROTHER’S KEEPER – CHIKE

RECKLESS – PRAIZ
WAJE 2.0 – WAJE
MATTER OF TIME – DAMI ONIRU
TO BE HONEST (TBH) – SIMI

SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.

“CALM DOWN” – REMA
“LAST LAST” – BURNA BOY
“KU LO SA” – OXLADE
“BUGA” – KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO
“FINESSE” – PHEELZ FT. BNXN
“SUNGBA REMIX” – ASAKE FT. BURNA BOY

Rookie Of The Year

BAYANNI

KHAID

GUCHI

BLOODY CIVILIAN

ODUMODUBLVCK

BEST FEMALE ARTISTE

Overall most successful female artiste (with artistic quality and/or impact) in the year under review.

TEMS
SIMI
AYRA STARR
TIWA SAVAGE

BEST MALE ARTISTE
Overall, most successful male artiste (with artistic quality and/or impact) in the year under review.

ASAKE
REMA
KIZZ DANIEL
RUGER
OMAH LAY
BURNA BOY

NEXT RATED

This category is a voting category for the most promising act (with a single, EP or Album) in the year under review.

YOUNG JONN
SEYI VIBEZ
ASAKE
VICTONY
SPYRO

DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

A voting award category for an individual Nigerian artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement and impact digitally in the year under review.

BURNA BOY
AYRA STARR
REMA
OMAH LAY
KIZZ DANIEL
ASAKE

AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

REMA (NIGERIA)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
MARWA LOUD (MOROCCO)
BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

LADIPOE – “CLOWNS”
VECTOR – “CLOWNS”
PAYPER CORLEONE – “FLY TALK ONLY”
ALPHA OJINI – “VIGILANTE BOP”
A-Q – “FAMILY FIRST”
TEC (SDC) – “LIVE LIFE”

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

A voting award category for a non-African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement and impact on Afrobeats

DRAKE
FUTURE
SELENA GOMEZ
DON TOLIVER
ED SHEERAN

HEADIES’ VIEWERS’ CHOICE

RUGER – ASIWAJU
VICTONY & TEMPOE – SOWETO
FIREBOY DML & ASAKE – BANDANA
AYRA STAR – RUSH
ASAKE – TERMINATOR
MAVINS – OVERLOADING (OVERDOSE)
CRAYON – IJO (LABA LABA)
OXLADE – KU LO SA
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – BUGA
PHEELZ & DAVIDO – ELECTRICITY

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:

SIMI KOSOKO, GODSFAVOUR CHIDOZIE, KOSOKO ADEKUNLE, MARCEL AKUNWATA – “LOYAL” (SIMI)
STANLEY DIDIA, ADEBAJO ADEBANJO – “I’M A MESS” (OMAH LAY)
TEMS, LUDWIG GORANSSON, ROBYN RIHANNA FENTY, RYAN COOGLER – “LIFT ME UP” (RIHANNA)
DAMINI EBUNOLUWA OGULU, AUSTIN JNR IORNONGU IWAR, PEACE OREDOPE, LUDWIG GORANSSON – “ALONE” (BURNA BOY)
DANIEL BENSON “IN MY MIND” (BNXN)
FUAYEFIKA MAXWELL – EARTH SONG (WIZARD CHAN)

BEST CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

FALLY IPUPA – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
GAZ MAWETE – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
MATIAS DAMASIO – ANGOLA
EMMA’A – GABON
LIBIANCA – CAMEROON

BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

AKA (SOUTH AFRICA)
NASTY C – SOUTH AFRICA
COSTA TITCH – SOUTH AFRICA
UNCLE WAFFLES – SOUTH AFRICA
FOCALISTIC – SOUTH AFRICA
DJ TARICO – MOZAMBIQUE

BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

MARWA LOUD – MOROCCO
WEGZ – EGYPT
EL GRANDE TOTO – MOROCCO
SOOLKING – ALGERIA

BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

ZUCHU
DIAMOND PLATINUMZ
RAYVANNY
EDDY KENZO
HEWAN GEBREWORLD

BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

GYAKIE (GHANA)
BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
THE THERAPIST (LIBERIA)
CAMIDOH (GHANA)

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.

SOUND SULTAN

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE RECOGNITION

A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the Nigerian entertainment industry within a specific period and/or the year under review.