Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The race for the 2026 Headies Awards is officially on, and some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars are once again battling for top honours.
The organisers have released the full list of nominees for this year’s ceremony, with heavyweights including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Rema, Asake, Tems and Ayra Starr featuring prominently across some of the biggest categories.
The 2026 nominees cut across Afrobeats, R&B, hip-hop, alternative music, inspirational music and other international categories. The ceremony is also set to take place in Canada, as the Headies continues to push beyond Nigeria and strengthen its presence on the global music stage.
Among the songs making waves is “Hey Jago” by Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago, while Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body” and Fido’s “Joy Is Coming” are also among the notable contenders.
Best Female Artiste: Ayra Starr, Qing Madi, Sewa, Tems, Teni, Tiwa Savage.
Best Male Artiste: Adekunle Gold, Asake, Fola, Mavo, Rema, Wizkid, Burna Boy
The Producer of the Year category is also packed with some of the biggest names behind Nigeria’s recent hits. Magicsticks, P.Priime, Ragee, Sarz and Tempoe are all in the running for the coveted award.
Magicsticks earned recognition for his work on Jogodo by Asake and Wizkid and Real, Vol. 1, while P.Priime received nominations for projects involving Asake, Wizkid, Rema, Olamide and Darkoo.
Sarz was nominated for his work on Ayra Starr’s Hot Body and Who’s Dat Girl featuring Rema, while Tempoe made the list for Davido’s With You featuring Omah Lay and Joeboy’s SMH.
Viewers’ ChoiceAyra Starr — Hot BodyDavido — With You ft. Omah LayRema — Baby (Is It a Crime)Fola — YouWizkid & Asake — JogodoKunmie — ArikeMavo — Escaladizzy ft. Wavestar
The Original Song for Visual Media category also features a mix of established entertainers and creative collaborations. Osas Okonyon and Abbey Wonder were nominated for All My Love from Evi, while Funke Akindele and Tolu Obanro earned recognition for Behind the Scenes from Behind the Scenes.
Also nominated are Oscar Heman-Ackah and 2Baba for Save Me from To Kill a Monkey, as well as WurlD and Liya for Only in Lagos from Christmas in Lagos.
For the lyricists, Blaqbonez, Dremo, Modenine, PDSTRN and Ycee will battle it out in the Lyricist on the Roll category.
With a mix of Afrobeats heavyweights, rising stars and some of the industry’s most respected creatives, the 2026 Headies nominations have set the stage for another highly competitive night.
The big question now is simple: who will walk away with the biggest awards when the winners are finally announced?
