Headies 2026 Nominees: Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems, Rema Lead Full List

The nominees for the 2026 Headies Awards have been announced ahead of the highly anticipated ceremony scheduled to take place in Canada.

Some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars, including Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems, Rema, Ayra Starr, Asake and Tiwa Savage, feature prominently across several categories.

The nominations also recognise emerging artistes and performers across Nigeria and the wider African music scene.

Below is the full list of nominees as provided:

Best R&B Album

• Kunmie, Before We Became Strangers
• Fola, Catharsis
• Qing Madi, I Am the Blueprint
• Tems, Love Is a Kingdom
• Tay Iwar, Reflection Station
• Tiwa Savage, This One Is Personal

Afrobeats Single of the Year

• Rema, “Fun”
• Asake & Wizkid, “Jogodo”
• Shallipopi, “Laho”
• Davido & Omah Lay, “With You”
• Fola, “You”
• Burna Boy, “Bundle by Bundle”

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

Song of the Year

• Kunmie, “Arike”
• Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago, “Hey Jago”
• Ayra Starr, “Hot Body”
• Fido, “Joy Is Coming”
• Asake & Wizkid, “MMS”
• Davido & Omah Lay, “With You”

Best Recording of the Year

• Kunmie, “Arike”
• 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
• Fido
• Llona
• Shoday

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 Female Artiste

• Ayra Starr
• Qing Madi
• Sewa
• Tems
• Teni
• Tiwa Savage

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 Inspirational Single

• Sunmisola Agbebi ft. Yinka Okeleye, “Amioluwa”
• Lawrence Oyor, “Favour”
• Sinach, “Idinma (You Are Good)”
• EmmaOMG, “Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You)”
• Gaise Baba ft. Lawrence Oyor, “No Turning Back 2”
• Mercy Chinwo, “We Move”

Afrobeats Album of the Year

• Davido, 5ive
• BNXN, Captain
• Omah Lay, Clarity of Mind
• Adekunle Gold, Fuji
• Wizkid, Morayo
• Burna Boy, No Sign of Weakness

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”

International Artiste of the Year

• Ciara
• Dave
• Gunna
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Shenseea
• Tiakola

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 Headies Collaboration

• CKay ft. Mavo, “Body (Danz)”
• Mavo ft. Wavestar, “Escaladizzy”
• Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago, “Hey Jago”
• Fola ft. Kizz Daniel, “Lost”
• Odumodublvck ft. Victony, “Pity This Boy”
• Davido ft. Omah Lay, “With You”
• Mr Eazi & King Promise, “See What We’ve Done”
• Chief Priest ft. Spyki, “Finally”

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”

East African Artiste

• Abigail Chams, Tanzania
• Bien, Kenya
• Bruce Melodie, Rwanda
• Harmonize, Tanzania
• Joshua Baraka, Uganda

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?”

Producer of the Year

• Magicsticks, “Jogodo” by Asake & Wizkid; Real, Vol. 1 by Asake & Wizkid
• P.Priime, “MMS” by Asake & Wizkid; “Baby (Is It a Crime)” by Rema; “Billionaires Club” by Olamide, Darkoo & Wizkid
• Ragee, “Hot Body” by Ayra Starr
• Sarz, “Hot Body” by Ayra Starr; “Who’s Dat Girl” by Ayra Starr ft. Rema
• Tempoe, “With You” by Davido ft. Omah Lay; “SMH” by Joeboy

West African Artiste

• Black Sherif, Ghana
• Himra, Côte d’Ivoire
• KiDi, Ghana
• King Promise, Ghana
• Moliy, Ghana
• Wally B. Seck, Senegal
• Stonebwoy, Ghana

Best Alternative Song

• CYK Baddie, “Luwa.mp4” ft. Jeleel!
• Sewa, “Lagos Lovin”
• Wizard Chan, “Oliver”
• Binde, “Omo to Sexy”
• Wavestar, “Prada Baby”
• Obongjayar, “Sweet Danger”
• Chief Priest ft. BoyPee & Zoro Swagbag, “Summer Adina”

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

Rap Single

• Odumodublvck, “2:02 PM in London”
• Blaqbonez, “ACi”
• Dremo, “Man2Man”
• PDSTRN, “Moshood”
• Tuff King, “Nkemakonam”
• Zaylevelten & Mavo, “Wuse Tu”
• Zhus Jdo, “John Wick”

R&B Single

• Layefa, “6:35”
• Amaeya, “How Do You?”
• Amma, “I Love You”
• Tems, “What You Need”
• Magixx, “Winter & Summer”
• Tiwa Savage, “You4Me”

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

Original Song for Visual Media

• Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder, “All My Love”, Evi
• Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro, “Behind the Scenes”, Behind the Scenes
• Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba, “Save Me”, To Kill a Monkey
• WurlD & Liya, “Only in Lagos”, Christmas in Lagos

Lyricist on the Roll

• Blaqbonez, “ACi”
• Dremo, “Man2Man”
• Modenine, “If You Like Gym” with Odumodublvck
• PDSTRN, “Moshood”
• Ycee, “Man2Man”, Ycee Remix with Dremo

The 2026 nominations feature a broad mix of established Nigerian stars, emerging artistes and performers from across Africa and the diaspora, with several artistes appearing in multiple major categories.