The 2026 Headies Awards will bring together some of the biggest names in Nigerian music, with a strong lineup of artists, songs, and projects competing across several categories.
Below are the nominees for the highly anticipated ceremony, which is scheduled to take place in Canada.
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 Rap Single
- 2:02PM in London — Odumodublvck
- ACL — Blaqbonez
- Man2Man — Dremo
- PDSTRN — Moshood
- Nkemakonam — Tuff King
- Wuse Tu — Zaylevelten, Mavo
- John Wick — Zhus Jdo
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
- Qing Madi — I Am the Blueprint
- Love Is a Kingdom — Tems
- Reflection Station — Tay Iwar
- This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
Best Recording of the Year
- Arike — Kunmie
- Amaeya — How Do You?
- Rema — Baby (Is It a Crime)
- Omah Lay & Elmah — Coping Mechanism
- Davido & Omah Lay — With You
- Fola — You
Best Alternative Album
- SDC — Afrika Magik
- Sewa — Detox
- BOJ — Duplicity
- Wizard Chan — Healers Chapel
- Scottyolorin — Olorin Pack
- Zaylevelten — Then 1t Got Crazy
Digital Artiste of the Year
- Asake
- Ayra Starr
- BNXN
- Chella
- Fola
- Mavo
- Seyi Vibez
- Wizkid
Next Rated
- Fido
- Fola
- Llona
- Mavo
- Shoday
Best Male Artiste
- Adekunle Gold
- Asake
- Fola
- Mavo
- Rema
- Wizkid
- Burna Boy
Rookie of the Year
- Amma
- Danpapa GTA
- Firstklaz
- Kidd Carder
- NO11
- Priesst
- OG Abbah
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
Songwriter of the Year
- Adekunle Gold — Many People
- Victony — Cough Syrup (w/ BNXN)
- Wizard Chan — Time Traveler
- Fola — Who Does That?
- Kunmie — Arike
- Amaeya — How Do You?
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
- Layefa — 6:35
- Amaeya — How Do You?
- Sewa — Lagos Lovin
- Qing Madi — Scumbag
- Liya — Skin to Skin
- Tiwa Savage — You4Me
Best Inspirational Single
- Sunmisola Agbebi & Yinka Okeleye — Amioluwa
- Lawrence Oyor — Favour
- Sinach — Idinma (You Are Good)
- Emma OMG — Ko’rin Iyin (I Will Praise You)
- Gaise Baba & Lawrence Oyor — No Turning Back II
- Mercy Chinwo — We Move
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
- Adekunle Gold — I’m Not Done
- Flavour — Orente
- Magixx — Summer & Winter
- Odeal — Patience
- Syemca — Love Egbugomo
- Tay Iwar — Bad Belle
Producer of the Year
- Magicsticks — Jogodo
- P. Priime — MMS
- Ragee — Hot Body
- Sarz — Getting Paid
- Tempoe — With You
Best Collaboration
- CKay & Mavo — Body (Danz)
- Mavo & Wave$tar — Escaladizzy
- Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — Hey Jago
- Odumodublvck & Victony — Pity This Boy
- Davido & Omah Lay — With You
- Mr Eazi & King Promise — See What We’ve Done
- Chief Priest & Spyki — Finally
Songwriter of the Year
- Adekunle Gold — Many People
- Victony — Cough Syrup (w/ BNXN)
- Wizard Chan — Time Traveler
- Fola — Who Does That?
- Kunmie — Arike
- Amaeya — How Do You?
Afrobeats Album of the Year
- 5ive — Davido
- Captain — BNXN
- Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
- Fuji — Adekunle Gold
- Morayo — Wizkid
- No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
Best Female Artist
- Ayra Starr
- Qing Madi
- Sewa
- Tems
- Teni
- Tiwa Savage
Lyricist on the Roll
- Blaqbonez — ACL
- Dremo — Man2Man
- Modenine — If You Like Gym (w/ Odumodublvck)
- PDSTRN — Moshood
- Ycee — Man2Man Remix (w/ Dremo)
Best Rap Album
- Tuff King — Black Sheepizen (The 13th Disciple)
- A-Q — GE3 (The Beginning)
- Erigga — G.O.A.T
- JeriQ — King
- Blaqbonez — No Excuses
- Odumodublvck — The Machine Is Coming
Best Street-Hop Artiste
- Famous Pluto — Na Scra
- Kashcoming — All My Money
- Poco Lee — Hey Jago (w/ Shoday & Rahman Jago)
- Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
- Shallipopi — Laho
- Tuff King — Nkemakonam
- Rybeena — Gaddem (w/ Shoday)
International Artiste of the Year
- Ciara
- Dave
- Gunna
- Jazmine Sullivan
- Shenseea
- Tiakola
Best Southern African Artist
- Ciza 🇿🇦
- DJ Maphorisa 🇿🇦
- Jazzwrld 🇱🇸
- Kabza De Small 🇿🇦
- Tyla 🇿🇦
- Uncle Waffles 🇸🇿
Music Video of the Year
- Director Pink — 10 Kilo
- TG Omori — Afroculture
- DK — Bundle by Bundle
- Jyde Ajala — Wizard Chan
- Meji Alabi — Who’s Dat Girl
- Dammy Twitch — With You
Best Alternative Song
- Cyk Baddie — Luwa.mp4 & Jeleel!
- Sewa — Lagos Lovin
- Wizard Chan — Oliver
- Blnde — Omo To Sexy
- Wave$tar — Prada Baby
- Obongjayar — Sweet Danger
- Chief Priest, Boypee & Zoro Swagbag — Summer Adina
Best West African Artiste
- Black Sherif 🇬🇭
- Himra 🇨🇮
- KiDi 🇬🇭
- King Promise 🇬🇭
- Moliy 🇬🇭
- Wally B. Seck 🇸🇳
- Stonebwoy 🇬🇭