The nominations for the 18th Headies Awards are out, and Fola leads the pack with 10 nominations, ahead of a field that includes Davido, Wizkid, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, Asake, Rema and Burna Boy. But if you were planning for October, change your diary: the ceremony has been postponed to 10–11 April 2027 in Toronto, Canada. Here is the full nominees list and everything you need to know.
Headies 2026: Key Facts
- Edition: 18th Headies Awards
- Nominations announced: 25 August 2026
- Most nominated: Fola, with 10 nominations
- New ceremony date: 10–11 April 2027 (originally 23 October 2026)
- Location: Toronto, Canada, with a live watch party in Lagos
- Venue: not yet announced
Why the Headies Was Postponed to April 2027
Organisers announced on their official Instagram page that the ceremony, first scheduled for 23 October 2026, will now hold on 10 and 11 April 2027. They said the extra time lets them expand pre-award activities across Nigeria and Canada. A “Road to the Headies” programme of workshops, seminars and industry engagements for artistes and nominees will still run in the original window, and organisers apologised to guests who had already booked travel for October.
Headies 2026 Nominees: Full List
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 Album of the Year
- 5ive – Davido
- Captain – BNXN
- Clarity of Mind – Omah Lay
- Fuji – Adekunle Gold
- Morayo – Wizkid
- No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy
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 Male Artiste
- Adekunle Gold
- Asake
- Fola
- Mavo
- Rema
- Wizkid
- Burna Boy
Best Female Artiste
- Ayra Starr
- Qing Madi
- Sewa
- Tems
- Teni
- Tiwa Savage
Next Rated
- Fido
- Fola
- Llona
- Mavo
- Shoday
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 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
Digital Artiste of the Year
- Asake
- Ayra Starr
- BNXN
- Chella
- Fola
- Mavo
- Seyi Vibez
- Wizkid
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
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
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 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 – CYK Baddie 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
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
Lyricist on the Roll
- Blaqbonez – ACi
- Dremo – Man2Man
- Modenine – If You Like Gym (with Odumodublvck)
- PDSTRN – Moshood
- Ycee – Man2Man (Ycee Remix, with Dremo)
Best Street-Hop Artiste
- Famous Pluto – Na Scra
- Kashcoming – All My Money
- Poco Lee – Hey Jago ft. Shoday & Rahman Jago
- Seyi Vibez – Shaolin
- Shallipopi – Laho
- Tuff King – Nkemakonam
- Rybeena – Gaddem ft. Shoday
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
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
Rookie of the Year
- Amma
- Danpapa Gta
- Firstklaz
- Kidd Carder
- No11
- Priesst
- OG Abbah
Producer of the Year
- Magicsticks – Jogodo and 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)
Writer 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?
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 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
Original Song for Visual Media
- All My Love (from Evi) – Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder
- Behind the Scenes (from Behind the Scenes) – Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro
- Save Me (from To Kill a Monkey) – Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba
- Only in Lagos (from Christmas in Lagos) – WurlD & Liya
International Artiste of the Year
- Ciara
- Dave
- Gunna
- Jazmine Sullivan
- Shenseea
- Tiakola
West African Artiste
- Black Sherif (Ghana)
- Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
- KiDi (Ghana)
- King Promise (Ghana)
- Moliy (Ghana)
- Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
- Stonebwoy (Ghana)
East African Artiste
- Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
- Bien (Kenya)
- Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
- Harmonize (Tanzania)
- Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
North African Artiste
- Balti (Tunisia)
- Dystinct (Morocco)
- Marwan Moussa (Egypt)
- Soolking (Algeria)
- Tul8te (Egypt)
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
- Debby Friday – Lipsync
- Tôme – CC ft. Alpha P
- Bolu Ajibade – Diana (with Friyie)
- Nonso Amadi – Dive In
- Rooky Kamiz – Deeper
- Tobi – Out the Mud
Vanguard’s published list also names Congolese legend Awilo Longomba for the Hall of Fame.
The Big Stories in This Year’s Nominations
- Fola’s breakout year. With 10 nominations, including Best Male Artiste, Next Rated and Writer of the Year, Fola is the name of this cycle.
- “With You” everywhere. Davido and Omah Lay’s collaboration appears in Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single, Best Recording, Best Collaboration, Viewers’ Choice, Producer of the Year (Tempoe) and Music Video of the Year (Dammy Twitch).
- Album of the Year heavyweights. Davido’s 5ive, Wizkid’s Morayo and Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness go head to head with Omah Lay, BNXN and Adekunle Gold.
- A Canadian edition. With the ceremony in Toronto, an African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste category recognises Canada-based acts such as Nonso Amadi and Tobi.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Headies 2026?
The 18th Headies Awards was postponed from 23 October 2026 to 10–11 April 2027.
Where will the Headies 2026 hold?
In Toronto, Canada, with a live watch party in Lagos. The venue has not been announced yet.
Who has the most Headies 2026 nominations?
Fola leads with 10 nominations.
We will update this page when the venue, hosts and winners are announced. Read more: Top 10 Richest Musicians in Africa 2026.
