The Headies unveiled the complete nominee list for its 18th edition on August 25, spread across 35 categories and 213 total nominations. Fola leads the pack with 10 nominations off his debut album Catharsis, ahead of Omah Lay with eight, Mavo and Wizkid with seven each, and Asake and Davido rounding out the top tier with six apiece. The ceremony holds on October 25, 2026, in Toronto, Canada, under the theme “Africa to the World.”
Below is the complete nominee breakdown, category by category.
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
Album of the Year
- Catharsis — Fola
- Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
- G.O.A.T — Erigga
- Morayo — Wizkid
- No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
- The Machine Is Coming — Odumodublvck
- This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
Best Male Artiste
- Adekunle Gold
- Asake
- Burna Boy
- Fola
- Mavo
- Rema
- Wizkid
Best Female Artiste
- Ayra Starr
- Qing Madi
- Sewa
- Tems
- Teni
- Tiwa Savage
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
- Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
- Fun — Rema
- Jogodo — Asake & Wizkid
- Laho — Shallipopi
- With You — Davido & Omah Lay
- You — Fola
Next Rated
- Fido
- Fola
- Llona
- Mavo
- Shoday
Rookie of the Year
- Amma
- Danpapa Gta
- Firstklaz
- Kidd Carder
- No11
- OG Abbah
- Priesst
Digital Artiste of the Year
- Asake
- Ayra Starr
- BNXN
- Chella
- Fola
- Mavo
- Seyi Vibez
- Wizkid
Headies Viewers’ Choice
- Arike — Kunmie
- Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
- Escaladizzy — Mavo ft. Wavestar
- Hot Body — Ayra Starr
- Jogodo — Wizkid with Asake
- With You — Davido ft. Omah Lay
- You — Fola
Best Collaboration
- Body (Danz) — CKay ft. Mavo
- Escaladizzy — Mavo ft. Wavestar
- Finally — Chief Priest ft. Spyki
- Hey Jago — Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago
- Lost — Fola ft. Kizz Daniel
- Pity This Boy — Odumodublvck ft. Victony
- See What We’ve Done — Mr Eazi & King Promise
- With You — Davido ft. Omah Lay
Best Recording of the Year
- Amaeya — How Do You?
- Arike — Kunmie
- Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
- Coping Mechanism — Omah Lay & Elmah
- With You — Davido & Omah Lay
- You — Fola
Music Video of the Year
- 10 Kilo (Davido) — dir. Director Pink
- Afroculture (Flavour ft. Baaba Maal) — dir. TG Omori
- Bundle by Bundle (Burna Boy) — dir. DK
- With You (Davido) — dir. Dammy Twitch
- Wizard Chan (self-titled) — dir. Jyde Ajala
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 Street-Hop Artiste
- Famous Pluto — Na Scra
- Kashcoming — All My Money
- Poco Lee — Hey Jago ft. Shoday & Rahman Jago
- Rybeena — Gaddem ft. Shoday
- Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
- Shallipopi — Laho
- Tuff King — Nkemakonam
Rap Single
- 2:02 PM in London — Odumodublvck
- ACi — Blaqbonez
- John Wick — Zhus Jdo
- Man2Man — Dremo
- Moshood — PDSTRN
- Nkemakonam — Tuff King
- Wuse Tu — Zaylevelten & Mavo
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?
Lyricist on the Roll
- Blaqbonez — ACi
- Dremo — Man2Man
- Modenine — If You Like Gym with Odumodublvck
- PDSTRN — Moshood
- Ycee — Man2Man (Ycee Remix) with Dremo
Producer of the Year
- Magicsticks — Jogodo (Asake & Wizkid); 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)
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 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 Song
- Luwa.mp4 — CYK Baddie ft. Jeleel!
- Lagos Lovin — Sewa
- Oliver — Wizard Chan
- Omo to Sexy — Binde
- Prada Baby — Wavestar
- Summer Adina — Chief Priest ft. BoyPee & Zoro Swagbag
- Sweet Danger — Obongjayar
Best Alternative Album
- Afrika Magik — SDC
- Detox — Sewa
- Duplicity — BOJ
- Healers Chapel — Wizard Chan
- Olorin Pack — Scottyolorin
- Then 1t Got Crazy — Zaylevelten
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 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 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
- Only in Lagos, from Christmas in Lagos — WurlD & Liya
- Save Me, from To Kill a Monkey — Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba
International Artiste of the Year
- Ciara
- Dave
- Gunna
- Jazmine Sullivan
- Shenseea
- Tiakola
Best West African Artiste
- Black Sherif (Ghana)
- Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
- KiDi (Ghana)
- King Promise (Ghana)
- Moliy (Ghana)
- Stonebwoy (Ghana)
- Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
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)
Best African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste
- CC ft. Alpha P — Tôme
- Deeper — Rooky Kamiz
- Diana with Friyie — Bolu Ajibade
- Dive In — Nonso Amadi
- Lipsync — Debby Friday
- Out the Mud — Tobi
Special Recognition: Hall of Fame
- Awilo Longomba
Winners will be announced live at the Toronto ceremony on October 25. Check back with ThrillNG after the show for the full winners list.
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