On December 4, 2020, Nigeria's premier music award show announced nominations for their upcoming event. The year-in-review is between July 2019 and September 2020.
It will be the 14th edition of an award heralded by Ayo Animashaun and his company, HipHop World. Nigerian stars like Burna Boy, Fireboy, Wizkid and more lead nominations.
Fireboy leads the way with nine nominations. The awards are set to hold later today, Sunday, February 21, 2020.
This year will see winners in new categories;, Songwriter of The Year and Best Alternative Album.
ALSO READ: Here is the full list of winners from the 2019 Headies
There is no segmentation of nominations to just the superstars. The award itself will be held virtually very soon.
You can see the full list of nominations below;
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.
- OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO
- SMILE - WIZKID FEAT. HER
- WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY
- DREAMER – FIREBOY DML
- GHOST TOWN – WURLD
Who will win: Smile by Wizkid because it was such a steady record from Wizkid, it also has an amazing music video.
Who should win: Ozymandias by Brymo is simply the most eclectic record in that category.
Outlier: 'Ozymandias' by Brymo
BEST POP SINGLE
A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).
- BILLIONAIRE – TENI
- NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI.
- LADY – REMA
- FEM – DAVIDO
- JORO - WIZKID
- SKELETUN - TEKNO
Who will win: 'Nobody' by DJ Neptune featuring Joeboy and Mr. Eazi.
Who should win: 'Fem' by Davido.
Outlier: None.
SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
- FEM – DAVIDO
- NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
- JORO - WIZKID
- MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY
- DUDUKE – SIMI
Who will win: 'FEM' by Davido
Who should win: Duduke by Simi
Outlier: 'Mafo' by Naira Marley
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
- PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI
- SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE
- KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY
- SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD
Who will win: 'Billionaire' by Pheelz
Who should win: 'Billionaire' by Pheelz
Outlier: None
BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.
- GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ
- ILLY CHAPO X - ILLBLISS
- YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP
- CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO
- THE ERIGMA II - ERIGGA
Who will win: God's Engineering by AQ
Who should win: 'God's Engineering' by AQ
Outlier: None
BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
1. LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML
2. I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD
3. KING – PRAIZ
4. BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
5. CELIA – TIWA SAVAGE
Who will win: 'Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps' by Fireboy DML
Who should win: Boo of The Booless by Chie
Outlier: I Like Girls With Trobul by Sarz and Wurld
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
- YELLOW – BRYMO
- LUCID – ASA
- THE LIGHT – BEZ
- PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI
- ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN
Who will win: Pioneers by DRB Lasgidi
Who should win: Yellow by Brymo
Outlier: ROOTS by The Cavemen
BEST POP ALBUM
A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
- APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
- AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
- A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO
- WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE
- AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
Who will win: Apollo by Fireboy
Who should win: African Giant by Burna Boy
Outlier: Afro Pop Vol. 1 by Adekunle Gold
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.
1. ELI – FIREBOY DML BY CLARENCE PETERS
2. 1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K
3. SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI
4. BILLIONAIRE - TENI BY TG OMORI
5. SHEKERE - YEMI ALADE BY OVIE ETSEYATSE
Who will win: Smile by Wizkid featuring H.E.R [Meji Alabi]
Who should win: Shekere by Yemi Alade
Outlier: ELI by Fireboy
BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
- UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ
- DUDUKE – SIMI
- MAD – SARZ & WURLD
- BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY
- TATTOO – FIREBOY DML
- DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE
Who will win: Bad Influence by Omah Lay
Who should win: Duduke by Simi
Outlier: Mad by Sarz & Wurld
BEST COLLABORATION
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
- KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI
- NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
- SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD
- DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN
- TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE
- GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ
Who will win: Nobody by DJ Neptune featuring Joeboy and Mr. Eazi
Who should win: Nobody by DJ Neptune featuring Joeboy and Mr. Eazi
Outlier: None
BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
- OGB4IG – REMINISCE
- SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ
- COUNTRY – ILLBLISS
- GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM
- BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS
Who will win: Bop Daddy by Falz featuring Ms. Banks
Who should win: Get The Info by Phyno featuring Falz & Phenom
Outlier: None
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)
A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.
- WURLD – GHOST TOWN
- CHIKE – FORGIVE
- PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY
- COHBAMS – PLENTI
- NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE
- JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU
Who will win: Forgive by Chike
Who should win: Forgive by Chike
Outlier: We Plenti by Cobhams
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
- SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL
- LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE
- NINIOLA - ADDICTED
- J-DESS – CHI EFO
- YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI
- IMANSE - AJALA
Who will win: No Longer Beneficial by Simi
Who should win: Chi Efo by J'Dess or One On The Outside by Lindsey Abudei
Outlier: None
NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.
- TEMS
- OMAH LAY
- OXLADE
- BELLA SHMURDA
Who will win: Omah Lay
Who should win: Omah Lay
Outlier: None
HEADIES REVELATION
A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.
- VICTOR AD
- FIREBOY DML
- JOEBOY
- TENI
- REMA
- CHIKE
Who will win: Fireboy
Who should win: Fireboy
Outlier: Teni
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.
- AQ – EUNICE
- BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2
- MI ABAGA – TRINITY
- ILLBLISS – COUNTRY
- PHENOM – GET THE INFO
- PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE
Who will win: Eunice by AQ
Who should win: Eunice by AQ
Outlier: Speak Life by Phyno
BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.
- NAIRA MARLEY & YOUNG JOHN – MAFO
- MAYORKUN – GENG
- REMINISCE FEAT. OLAMIDE & NAIRA MARLEY – INSTAGRAM
- RUDEBOY – AUDIO MONEY
- IVD & ZLATAN – BOLANLE
- OLAMIDE - PAWON
Who will win: 'Mafo' by Naira Marley and Young Jonn
Who should win: Mafo by Naira Marley and Young Jonn
Outlier: Geng by Mayorkun
BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG
A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.
- CORNER – LADY DONLY FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN
- I WONDER - MOELOGO
- BITTER - DEENA ADE
- ANITA - THE CAVEMEN
- MONEY DEVOTION - GBASKY
- GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - OLU
Who will win: Anita by The Cavemen
Who should win: Money Devotion by Gbasky
Outlier: God Save The Queen by Olu
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).
- AFRICAN GIANT - BURNA BOY
- APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
- AFRO POP VOL. 1 - ADEKUNLE GOLD
- YELLOW – BRYMO
- BOO OF THE BOOLESS - CHIKE
Who will win: Apollo by Fireboy
Who should win: African Giant by Burna Boy
Outlier: Boo of The Booless by Chike
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.
- BURNA BOY
- DAVIDO
- WIZKID
- MAYORKUN
- TIWA SAVAGE
Who will win: No idea
Who should win: Burna Boy
Outlier: Mayorkun
AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION
A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.
- MASTER KG
- KUAMI EUGENE
- SAUTI SOL
- SHAATA WALE
- STONEBWOY
There's only one winner: Masterk KG
HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE
A voting category to award the fan’s favorite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.
- DAVIDO
- OMAH LAY
- BURNA BOY
- FALZ
- FIREBOY DML
- MAYORKUN
- DJ NEPTUNE
- WIZKID
Who will win: Wizkid
Who should win: Burna Boy
Outlier: Fireboy DML
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.
- OLAKIRA
- ALPHA P
- JAMOPYPER
- ZINOLEESKY
- BAD BOY TIMZ
Who will win: Bad Boy Timz
Who should win: Zinoleesky
Outlier: None
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.
- SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)
- ADEDAMOLA ADEFOLAHAN (FIREBOY DML – DREAMER)
- DAMINI OGULU (BURNA BOY – WAY TOO BIG)
- STANLEY OMAH DIDIA (OMAH LAY – BAD INFLUENCE)
- SADIQ ONIFADE (WURLD – GHOST TOWN
- ADEKUNLE KOSOKO (1 MILLION – DAVIDO)
Who will win: Fireboy [for Dreamer]
Who should win: No idea
Outlier: None
SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM
TIMAYA
HALL OF FAME:
A special recognition to an individual for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
KING SUNNY ADE