Since its inception in 2006, the Headies has played a prominent role in the documentation of the strides recorded in the Nigerian music industry through its award which has now become the biggest prize in Nigerian music.
On July 11, 2023, The Headies Academy released the nomination list for the 2023 Rookie of the Year.
The list features fast-rising rapper Odumodu Blvck who has had an impressive 2023. Other artists on the list include Bloody Civilian who featured in the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, Mavin Records’ fast-rising star Bayyani, Singer Guchi, Eltee Skillz who scored a smash hit with his 2022 record ‘ODG’, and fast-rising act Khaid.
On July 12, the Headies has continued the nomination roll out for the 2023 edition.
Below is a list of the nominees for the 2023 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
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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
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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”
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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
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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
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
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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
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AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
REMA (NIGERIA)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
MARWA LOUD (MOROCCO)
BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
DRAKE
FUTURE
SELENA GOMEZ
DON TOLIVER
ED SHEERAN
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
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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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SOUND SULTAN
