The 18th Headies 2026 Nominees: Full List
The Headies’ 18th edition nominees list arrives with rare balance: established kings share the stage with a surging new wave across genres, genders, and the African continent.
Released today, the nominations for the 18th Headies Awards mark a meaningful evolution for one of Africa’s most prestigious music honors. Established names like Davido, Wizkid, and Burna Boy still command major categories, yet the slate feels notably more open. Rising acts such as Fola, Mavo, Fido, Shoday, and Llona appear not just in Next Rated but across Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste, and more.
This is inclusivity with substance. The list spans Afrobeats, R&B, alternative, street-hop, rap, inspirational, and live performance categories. Women hold strong ground: Ayra Starr features prominently in Song of the Year “Hot Body”, Best Performer (Live), Digital Artiste, Viewers’ Choice, and Best Female Artiste, joined by Tems, Tiwa Savage, Qing Madi, Teni, and others. R&B Album nods go to projects by Fola ‘Catharsis’, Tems ‘Love Is a Kingdom’, Tiwa Savage ‘This One Is Personal’, Kunmie, Qing Madi, and Tay Iwar.
Regional categories recognize talent from West Africa, East Africa, North Africa, and Central Africa, while a new African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste category reflects the awards’ move to Toronto under the theme “Africa to the World”. International Artiste of the Year brings in names including Ciara, Dave, and others who have engaged with African sounds.
Song of the Year pits Kunmie’s “Arike,” Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body,” Fido’s “Joy Is Coming,” Asake & Wizkid’s “MMS,” Davido & Omah Lay’s “With You,” and the collaborative “Hey Jago” against one another. Afrobeats Single of the Year includes Rema, Asake & Wizkid, Shallipopi, Fola, Burna Boy, and Davido & Omah Lay. Afrobeats Album of the Year features Davido’s ‘5ive’, Wizkid’s ‘Morayo’, Burna Boy’s ‘No Sign of Weakness’, Omah Lay, BNXN, and Adekunle Gold. Best Male Artiste places veterans alongside Fola and Mavo; Best Female Artiste is competitive among established and rising women.
Next Rated—often a career-launching category—spotlights Fola, Shoday, Mavo, Fido, and Llona, underscoring how the awards are tracking genuine momentum rather than recycling the same faces. Digital Artiste of the Year further blends streaming and social impact across veterans and newcomers.
Eligibility covered material released between 1 August 2024 and 30 April 2026. The ceremony is set for 23 October 2026 in Toronto, Canada, with Headies Week events surrounding it. Special recognition and Hall of Fame nods including Awilo Longomba will honor broader contributions.
In an industry that can tilt heavily toward a handful of global stars, this list feels like a deliberate widening of the lens. It still celebrates the commercial and cultural heavyweights who defined recent years, yet it makes room for the artists reshaping the sound from the ground up across styles, regions, and career stages. That balance is the real development. The Headies have long been a barometer for Nigerian and African music; this year, the barometer reads more of the full ecosystem. The October night in Toronto will test how these nominations translate into hardware in a broader, deeper, and more competitive scene.
Full List of Nominees – 18th Headies Awards (2026)
Next Rated
Fido
Fola
Llona
Mavo
Shoday
Rookie of the Year
Amma
Danpapa Gta
Firstklaz
Kidd Carder
No11
Priesst
OG Abbah
Song of the Year
Arike — Kunmie
Hey Jago — Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago
Hot Body — Ayra Starr
Joy Is Coming — Fido
MMS — Asake & Wizkid
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
Afrobeats Single of the Year
Fun — Rema
Jogodo — Asake & Wizkid
Laho — Shallipopi
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
You — Fola
Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
Afrobeats Album of the Year
5ive — Davido
Captain — BNXN
Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
Fuji — Adekunle Gold
Morayo — Wizkid
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
Album of the Year
Catharsis — Fola
Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
G.O.A.T — Erigga
Morayo — Wizkid
The Machine Is Coming — ODUMODUBLVCK
This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
Best Recording of the Year
Arike — Kunmie
How Do You? — Amaeya
Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
Coping Mechanism — Omah Lay & Elmah
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
You — Fola
Best R&B Album
Before We Became Strangers — Kunmie
Catharsis — Fola
I Am the Blueprint — Qing Madi
Love Is a Kingdom — Tems
Reflection Station — Tay Iwar
This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
Best Alternative Album
Afrika Magik — SDC
Detox — Sewa
Duplicity — BOJ
Healers Chapel — Wizard Chan
Olorin Pack — Scottyolorin
Then 1t Got Crazy — Zaylevelten
Best Alternative Song
Luwa.mp4 (ft. Jeleel!) — CYK Baddie
Lagos Lovin — Sewa
Oliver — Wizard Chan
Omo to Sexy — Binde
Prada Baby — Wavestar
Sweet Danger — Obongjayar
Summer Adina (ft. BoyPee & Zoro Swagbag) — Chief Priest
Best R&B Single
6:35 — Layefa
How Do You? — Amaeya
I Love You — Amma
What You Need — Tems
Winter & Summer — Magixx
You4Me — Tiwa Savage
Best Rap Single
2:02 PM in London — Odumodublvck
ACi — Blaqbonez
Man2Man — Dremo
Moshood — PDSTRN
Nkemakonam — Tuff King
Wuse Tu — Zaylevelten & Mavo
John Wick — Zhus Jdo
Best Collaboration (Best Headies Collaboration)
Body (Danz) — CKay ft. Mavo
Escaladizzy — Mavo ft. Wavestar
Hey Jago — Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago
Lost — Fola ft. Kizz Daniel
Pity This Boy — Odumodublvck ft. Victony
With You — Davido ft. Omah Lay
See What We’ve Done — Mr Eazi & King Promise
Finally — Chief Priest ft. Spyki
Best Street-Hop Artiste
Na Scra — Famous Pluto
All My Money — Kashcoming
Hey Jago (ft. Shoday & Rahman Jago) — Poco Lee
Shaolin — Seyi Vibez
Laho — Shallipopi
Nkemakonam — Tuff King
Gaddem (ft. Shoday) — Rybeena
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
I’m Not Done — Adekunle Gold
Orente — Flavour
Winter and Summer — Magixx
Patience — Odeal
Love Egbugomo — Syemca
Bad Belle — Tay Iwar
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
6:35 — Layefa
How Do You? — Amaeya
Lagos Lovin — Sewa
Scum Bag — Qing Madi
Skin to Skin — Liya
You4Me — Tiwa Savage
Best Performer (Live)
Live at the National Theatre, Lagos — Adekunle Gold
Red Bull Symphonic — Asake
Global Citizen Festival 2025 — Ayra Starr
Johnny’s Room Live 6 — Johnny Drille
Live at Indigo at The O2, London (2025) — Ruger
Music Video of the Year
10 Kilo (Director Pink) — Davido
With You (Dammy Twitch) — Davido
Afroculture (TG Omori) — Flavour ft. Baaba Maal
(Jyde Ajala) — Wizard Chan
Bundle by Bundle (DK) — Burna Boy
Producer of the Year
Magicsticks (Jogodo / Real, Vol. 1 — Asake & Wizkid)
P.Priime (MMS — Asake & Wizkid; Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema; Billionaires Club — Olamide, Darkoo & Wizkid)
Ragee (Hot Body — Ayra Starr)
Sarz (Hot Body — Ayra Starr; Who’s Dat Girl — Ayra Starr ft. Rema)
Tempoe (With You — Davido ft. Omah Lay; SMH — Joeboy)
Songwriter of the Year / Writer of the Year
Many People — Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold)
Cough Syrup (with BNXN) — Anthony Ebuka Victor (Victony)
Time Traveler — Fuayefika Maxwell (Wizard Chan)
Who Does That? — Odunlami Afolarin Temiloluwa (Fola)
(Oluwabukunmi Ariyibi Peter / Kunmie)
How Do You? — Peace Chidinma Amaefula (Amaeya)
Lyricist on the Roll
ACi — Blaqbonez
Man2Man — Dremo
If You Like Gym (with Odumodublvck) — Modenine
Moshood — PDSTRN
Man2Man (Ycee Remix with Dremo) — Ycee
Best Inspirational Single
Amioluwa (ft. Yinka Okeleye) — Sunmisola Agbebi
Favour — Lawrence Oyor
Idinma (You Are Good) — Sinach
Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) — EmmaOMG
No Turning Back 2 (ft. Lawrence Oyor) — Gaise Baba
We Move — Mercy Chinwo
Digital Artiste of the Year
Asake
Ayra Starr
BNXN
Chella
Fola
Mavo
Seyi Vibez
Wizkid
Best Female Artiste
Ayra Starr
Qing Madi
Sewa
Tems
Teni
Tiwa Savage
Best Male Artiste
Adekunle Gold
Asake
Fola
Mavo
Rema
Wizkid
Burna Boy
Headies Viewers’ Choice
Hot Body — Ayra Starr
With You (ft. Omah Lay) — Davido
Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
You — Fola
Jogodo (with Asake) — Wizkid
Arike — Kunmie
Escaladizzy (ft. Wavestar) — Mavo
Best West African Artiste
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
KiDi (Ghana)
King Promise (Ghana)
Moliy (Ghana)
Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)
Best East African Artiste
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Bien (Kenya)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
Best North African Artiste
Balti (Tunisia)
Dystinct (Morocco)
Marwan Moussa (Egypt)
Soolking (Algeria)
Tul8te (Egypt)
Best Central African Artiste
Fally Ipupa (DR Congo)
Ferré Gola (DR Congo)
Héritier Watanabe (DR Congo)
Hiro (DR Congo)
Innoss’B (DR Congo)
Locko (Cameroon)
African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste
Lipsync — Debby Friday
CC (ft. Alpha P) — Tôme
Diana (with Friyie) — Bolu Ajibade
Dive In — Nonso Amadi
Deeper — Rooky Kamiz
Out the Mud — Tobi
International Artiste of the Year
Ciara
Dave
Gunna
Jazmine Sullivan
Shenseea
Tiakola
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)
Hall of Fame
Awilo Longomba
