Jul 12, 2023Oct 4, 2026

See The Full List Of 16th Headies Nominations

Posted By: Julian Daily Gist Editorial Team

Nominees for the 16th Headies Awards were announced on Tuesday, with an interesting lineup of artistes set to battle it out for the award.

Established in 2006, the Headies Awards recognise outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industries. Heralded by fanfare and much anticipations and hot takes, the award show features performances from top music stars and promising artistes.

The nomination process for this year’s (the 16th) edition, started on May 22 and ended on June 16.

Nominees for the awards are selected based on songs released between January 2022 and March 2023.

Below is a list of the nominees for the 16th Headies Award:

Rookie Of The Year

Odumodu Blvck
Bayyani
Guchi
Eltee
Khaid

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 – “Electricty” (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)

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 R&B Single

“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

Best Rap Single

“Hustle” – Reminisce
“Big Energy” – Ladipoe
“Back In Uni” – Blaqbonez
“Bando Diaries” – Psychoyp
“Declan Rice” – Odumodublvck
“My Bro” – Jeriq Ft. Phyno

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 R&B Album

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 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 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

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

Song Of The Year

“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

Best Female Artiste

Tems
Simi
Ayra Starr
Tiwa Savage

Best Male Artiste

Asake
Rema
Kizz Daniel
Ruger
Omah Lay
Burna Boy

Next Rated

Young Jonn
Seyi Vibez
Asake
Victony
Spyro

African Artiste Of The Year

Rema (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Marwa Loud (Morocco)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

Niniola – “Memories”
Simi – “Loyal”
Waje – “In Between“
Liya – “Adua Remix”
Preye – “Red Wine”
Dami Oniru – “Just 4 U”

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 Music Video

Blaqbonez & Perliks – “Back In Uni”
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 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 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”

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

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”

Best West African Artiste Of The Year

Gyakie (Ghana)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
The Therapist (Liberia)
Camidoh (Ghana)

Best East African Artiste Of The Year

Zuchu
Diamond Platinumz
Rayvanny
Eddy Kenzo
Hewan Gebreworld

Best North African Artiste Of The Year

Marwa Loud – Morocco
Wegz – Egypt
El Grande Toto – Morocco
Soolking – Algeria

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 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

International Artist Of The Year

Drake
Future
Selena Gomez
Don Toliver
Ed Sheeran

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”

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

Digital Artiste Of The Year

Burna Boy
Ayra Starr
Rema
Omah Lay
Kizz Daniel
Asake

International Artiste Recognition

Sean ‘Love’ Combs

Hall Of Fame

Youssou N’dour
Special Recognition

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