The Headies, Africa's premier music award institution, has officially unveiled its nominations list for the 18th edition of the annual ceremony, scheduled to take place on October 25, 2026, in Toronto, Canada. Under the theme "Africa to the World," this year's lineup celebrates the continent’s top performers and breakout talents across 213 nominations in 35 categories, covering the review period from August 1, 2024, to April 30, 2026.
Rising sensation Fola leads the pack with an impressive 10 nominations—including Album of the Year, Next Rated, Songwriter of the Year, and Best Male Artiste—driven by the success of his acclaimed debut album CATHARSIS. Omah Lay follows closely with eight nominations, fueled primarily by "With You," his hit collaboration with Davido, which stands as the most-nominated track of the night with six nods. Wizkid and breakout star Mavo earned seven nominations each, while industry heavyweights Asake and Davido secured six apiece.
The nominations list also shines a light on top female talent and burgeoning voices across the continent. Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage share the spot as the most-nominated female artists with five nods each, matching the tally of rising star Kunmie—whose hit "Arike" earned a Song of the Year nomination—alongside Adekunle Gold, Odumodublvck, and Shoday. The highly competitive Next Rated category features a stacked field including Fido, FOLA, Llona, Mavo, Shoday, and Zaylevelten, while the Rookie of the Year lineup highlights emerging talent like Amma, Danpapa GTA, FirstKlaz, Kidd Carder, NO11, Priesst, and OG Abbah.
Seven major projects will battle for the prestigious Album of the Year title, including Fola’s CATHARSIS, Omah Lay’s CLARITY OF MIND, Erigga’s G.O.A.T, Wizkid’s MORAYO, Burna Boy’s NO SIGN OF WEAKNESS, Odumodublvck’s THE MACHINE IS COMING, and Tiwa Savage’s THIS ONE IS PERSONAL. Demonstrating the award show's expanding global footprint, the 18th edition features broader genre representation, expanded regional categories spanning 16 African nations, and special international honors. Legendary Congolese singer Awilo Longomba is set to receive the Headies Hall of Fame Award, while industry veteran Cecil Hammond will be honored with the Special Recognition Award for his lasting contributions to African entertainment.
Album of the Year
FOLA - Carthasis
Tiwa Savage - This One Is Personal
Wizkid - Morayo
Burna Boy - No Sign of Weakness
Omah Lay - Clarity of Mind
Erigga - G.O.A.T
Odumodublvck - The Machine Is Coming
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
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
Best Performer (Live)
Adekunle Gold — Live at the 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, London (2025)
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 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 Alternative Album
Afrika Magik — SDC
Detox — Sewa
Duplicity — BOJ
Healers Chapel — Wizard Chan
Olorin Pack — Scottyolorin
Then 1t Got Crazy — Zaylevelten
Digital Artist of the Year
Asake
Ayra Starr
BNXN
Chella
Fola
Mavo
Seyi Vibez
Wizkid
)
Music Video of the Year
Director Pink — 10 Kilo — Davido
Dammy Twitch — With You — Davido
TG Omori — Afroculture — Flavour ft Baaba Maal
Jyde Ajala — Wizard Chan
DK — Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
Best Female Artist
Ayra Starr
Qing Madi
Sewa
Tems
Teni
Tiwa Savage
Best Male Artist
Adekunle Gold
Asake
Fola
Mavo
Rema
Wizkid
Burna Boy
Rookie of the Year
Amma
Danpapa Gta
Firstklaz
Kidd Carder
No11
Priesst
OG Abbah
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
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Layefa — 6:35
Amaeya — How Do You?
Sewa — Lagos Lovin
Qing Madi — Scum Bag
Liya — Skin to Skin
Tiwa Savage — You4Me
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Adekunle Gold — I’m Not Done
Flavour — Orente
Magixx — Winter and Summer
Odeal — Patience
Syemca — Love Egbugomo
Tay Iwar — Bad Belle
)
Hall of Fame
Awilo Longomba
)
Best Street-Hop Artist
Famous Pluto — Na Scra
Kashcoming — All My Money
Poco Lee — Hey Jago ft Shoday and Rahman Jago
Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
Shallipopi — Laho
Tuff King — Nkemakonam
Rybeena — Gaddem ft Shoday
International Artist of the Year
Ciara
Dave
Gunna
Jazmine Sullivan
Shenseea
Tiakola
Songwriter of the Year
Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold) — Many People
Anthony Ebuka Victor (Victony) — Cough Syrup with BNXN
Fuayefika Maxwell (Wizard Chan) — Time Traveler
Odunlami Afolarin Temiloluwa (Fola) — Who Does That?
Oluwabukunmi Ariyibi Peter (Kunmie)
Peace Chidinma Amaefula (Amaeya) — How Do You?
Best Headies Collaboration
CKay ft Mavo — Body (Danz)
Mavo ft Wavestar — Escaladizzy
Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — Hey Jago
Fola ft Kizz Daniel — Lost
Odumodublvck ft Victony — Pity This Boy
Davido ft Omah Lay — With You
Mr Eazi and King Promise — See What We’ve Done
Chief Priest ft Spyki — Finally
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 Artist
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Bien (Kenya)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
West African Artist
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
KiDi (Ghana)
King Promise (Ghana)
Moliy (Ghana)
Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)
Best Alternative Song
CYK Baddie — Luwa.mp4 ft Jeleel!
Lagos Lovin — Sewa
Oliver — Wizard Chan
Omo to Sexy — Binde
Prada Baby — Wavestar
Sweet Danger — Obongjayar
Summer Adina — Chief Priest ft BoyPee & Zoro Swagbag
North African Artist
Balti (Tunisia)
Dystinct (Morocco)
Marwan Moussa (Egypt)
Soolking (Algeria)
Tul8te (Egypt)
Central African Artist
Fally Ipupa (DR Congo)
Ferré Gola (DR Congo)
Héritier Watanabe (DR Congo)
Hiro (DR Congo)
Innoss’B (DR Congo)
Locko (Cameroon)
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
R&B Single
6:35 — Layefa
How Do You? — Amaeya
I Love You — Amma
What You Need — Tems
Winter & Summer — Magixx
You4Me — Tiwa Savage
Producer of the Year
Magicsticks — Jogodo by Asake & Wizkid and Real, Vol. 1 by Asake & Wizkid
P.Priime — MMS by Asake & Wizkid, Baby (Is It a Crime) by Rema, Billionaires Club by Olamide, Darkoo & Wizkid
Ragee — Hot Body by Ayra Starr
Sarz — Hot Body by Ayra Starr and Who’s Dat Girl by Ayra Starr ft Rema
Tempoe — With You by Davido ft Omah Lay and SMH by Joeboy
Viewers’ Choice
Ayra Starr — Hot Body
Davido — With You ft Omah Lay
Rema — Baby (Is It a Crime)
Fola — You
Wizkid — Jogodo with Asake
Kunmie — Arike
Mavo —Escaladizzy ft Wavestar
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
Lyricist on the Roll
Blaqbonez — ACi
Dremo — Man2Man
Modenine — If You Like Gym with Odumodublvck
PDSTRN — Moshood
Ycee — Man2Man (Ycee Remix) with Dremo
28 Aug 2026
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