The nomination list for the 16th edition of The Headies has rolled out with Asake and Burna Boy getting top nominations.
The categories are based on artistes who had a succesful year in the year under review (January 2022 – March 2023). Sean ‘Love’ Combs (P. Diddy), Sound Sultan and Youssou N’dour were also recognised for their excellence and outstanding impact to music.
DIRECTOR K – “COMMON PERSON” (BURNA BOY)
DIRECTOR K – “CALM DOWN” (REMA)
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 ‘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 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” – PSYCHO YP
“DECLAN RICE” – ODUMODUBLVCK
“MY BRO” – JERIQ FT. PHYNO
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
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
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 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
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
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
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”
AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
REMA (NIGERIA)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
MARWA LOUD (MOROCCO)
BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
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
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
BEST RAP ALBUM
FLY TALK ONLY – PAYPER CORLEONE PALMWINE MUSIC VOL 3 – SHOW DEM CAMP
YOUNG PREACHER – BLAQBONEZ YPSZN3 – PSYCHO YP
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
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)
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
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 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 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”
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.
SEAN ‘LOVE’ COMBS
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)
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
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
BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE
STAND STRONG – DAVIDO FT SUNDAY SERVICE CHOIR
JIREH (MY PROVIDER) – LIMOBLAZE, LECRAE & HAPPI MUSIC
THIS YEAR – VICTOR THOMPSON & EHIS ‘D’ GREATEST
EZE EBUBE – NEON ADEJO
TOBECHUKWU – NATHANIEL BASSEY AND MERCY CHINWO
I GET BACKING – VICTORIA ORENZE
HALL OF FAME
A special recognition to an individual of African Descent, for excellence and outstanding impact to the African entertainment industry, home and abroad.
YOUSSOU N’DOUR
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
SOUND SULTAN
