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See The Full Nominee List For The Headies Awards 2020

Headies Awards 2020

The Headies Award is one of Nigeria’s biggest and the most entertaining awards with a history of many controversial and epic moments. The pioneers of the annual music awards, Headies have announced the nominees for the 14th edition for the awards.

See the list below

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.

  1. BURNA BOY
  2. DAVIDO
  3. WIZKID
  4. MAYORKUN
  5. TIWA SAVAGE

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.

  1. OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO
  2. SMILE – WIZKID FEAT. HER
  3. WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY
  4. DREAMER – FIREBOY DML
  5. GHOST TOWN – WURLD

BEST POP SINGLE

A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).

  1. BILLIONAIRE – TENI
  2. NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI.
  3. LADY – REMA
  4. FEM – DAVIDO
  5. JORO – WIZKID
  6. SKELETUN – TEKNO

SONG OF THE YEAR

A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.

  1. FEM – DAVIDO
  2. NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
  3. JORO – WIZKID
  4. MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY
  5. DUDUKE – SIMI

Also Read: Flavour Of Africa: Nigerian Highlife Maestro Releases Much Anticipated Album

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.

  1. PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI
  2. SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE
  3. KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY
  4. SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD

BEST RAP ALBUM

A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.

  1. GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ
  2. ILLY CHAPO X – ILLBLISS
  3. YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP
  4. CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO
  5. THE ERIGMA II – ERIGGA

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

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM

A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

  1. YELLOW – BRYMO
  2. LUCID – ASA
  3. THE LIGHT – BEZ
  4. PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI
  5. ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN

BEST POP ALBUM

A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

  1. APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
  2. AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
  3. A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO
  4. WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE
  5. AFRO POP VOL. 1 – 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

BEST R&B SINGLE

A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).

  1. UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ
  2. DUDUKE – SIMI
  3. MAD – SARZ & WURLD
  4. BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY
  5. TATTOO – FIREBOY DML
  6. DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE

BEST COLLABORATION

A voting category for the best R&B, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).

  1. KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI
  2. NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
  3. SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD
  4. DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN
  5. TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE
  6. GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ

BEST RAP SINGLE

A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.

  1. OGB4IG – REMINISCE
  2. SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ
  3. COUNTRY – ILLBLISS
  4. GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM
  5. BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS

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.

  1. WURLD – GHOST TOWN
  2. CHIKE – FORGIVE
  3. PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY
  4. COHBAMS – PLENTI
  5. NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE
  6. JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.

  1. SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL
  2. LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE
  3. NINIOLA – ADDICTED
  4. J-DESS – CHI EFO
  5. YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI
  6. IMANSE – AJALA

NEXT RATED

This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.

  1. TEMS
  2. OMAH LAY
  3. OXLADE
  4. BELLA SHMURDA

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.

  1. VICTOR AD
  2. FIREBOY DML
  3. JOEBOY
  4. TENI
  5. REMA
  6. CHIKE

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.

  1. AQ – EUNICE
  2. BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2
  3. MI ABAGA – TRINITY
  4. ILLBLISS – COUNTRY
  5. PHENOM – GET THE INFO
  6. PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE

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.

  1. NAIRA MARLEY & YOUNG JOHN – MAFO
  2. MAYORKUN – GENG
  3. REMINISCE FEAT. OLAMIDE & NAIRA MARLEY – INSTAGRAM
  4. RUDEBOY – AUDIO MONEY
  5. IVD & ZLATAN – BOLANLE
  6. OLAMIDE – PAWON

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.

  1. CORNER – LADY DONLY FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN
  2. I WONDER – MOELOGO
  3. BITTER – DEENA ADE
  4. ANITA – THE CAVEMEN
  5. MONEY DEVOTION – GBASKY
  6. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN – 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).

  1. AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
  2. APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
  3. AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
  4. YELLOW – BRYMO
  5. BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE

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.

  1. MASTER KG
  2. KUAMI EUGENE
  3. SAUTI SOL
  4. SHAATA WALE
  5. STONEBWOY

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.

  1. DAVIDO
  2. OMAH LAY
  3. BURNA BOY
  4. FALZ
  5. FIREBOY DML
  6. MAYORKUN
  7. DJ NEPTUNE
  8. WIZKID

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.

  1. OLAKIRA
  2. ALPHA P
  3. JAMOPYPER
  4. ZINOLEESKY
  5. BAD BOY TIMZ

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.

  1. SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)
  2. ADEDAMOLA ADEFOLAHAN (FIREBOY DML – DREAMER)
  3. DAMINI OGULU (BURNA BOY – WAY TOO BIG)
  4. STANLEY OMAH DIDIA (OMAH LAY – BAD INFLUENCE)
  5. SADIQ ONIFADE (WURLD – GHOST TOWN
  6. ADEKUNLE KOSOKO (1 MILLION – DAVIDO)

SPECIAL RECOGNITION:

A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.

  1. EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM
  2. TIMAYA

HALL OF FAME:

A special recognition to an individual for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.

  1. KING SUNNY ADE
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Asake’s ‘Mr Money With the Vibe’ Is Charting Top 50 On Spotify

Three years after its release, Asake’s Mr Money With the Vibe is still doing numbers. At the time of press, the track ‘Nzaza’ currently ranks 23rd on Spotify Nigeria’s Top 50 songs, that’s 148 weeks and counting, nearly three years of nonstop streaming for a debut project.

For most artists, a first album fades after its moment. For Asake, it’s really that moment that refuses to fade.

Released September 8, 2022, through YBNL Nation and Empire, Mr Money With the Vibe arrived when the streets already knew Asake’s name. He had already spent months turning singles like Sungba into hits. This 12-track debut built on that momentum, and he managed to do even more.

The project blends Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Fuji influences, creating a sound that can be global yet deeply Nigerian. Songs like Joha, Terminator, and Organise became instant hits, setting the tone for Asake’s larger-than-life run that would define Afrobeats in the mid-2020s.

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Apple Music Africa: The album broke records for the most first-day and most opening three-day streams ever by an African project.Apple Music Nigeria Top 100: For a brief, almost unbelievable stretch, every single track on the album occupied the first 12 spots on the chart. Global Reach: The project reached #1 on Apple Music Album Charts in 26 countries, including six across Europe.

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The Cavemen Drop New Album – Cavy In The City

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The project opens with a warm homage to the legends: Rex Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, Osita Osadebe, and Oliver De Coque, instantly grounding it in the music’s roots. Sonically and visually, the record leans into that vintage spirit. Even the cover art, like Show Dem Camp’s Afrika Magic, nods to old Nigerian poster design with its bold, grainy, and proudly analogue look.

Compared to their last album, Love and Highlife (2024), which experimented more with contemporary sounds and collaborations, this one feels closer in spirit to their debut Roots, which is familiar and more faithful to the traditional highlife rhythms that first made fans fall in love.

Their latest album, Cavy in the City, arrives as a confident extension of what they’ve always done best: traditional highlife music reimagined through live instrumentation, arranged sounds, and nostalgia.

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That statement alone captures the very essence of Olamide’s career, a superb balance of street confidence, cultural loyalty, and an unshakeable belief in himself.

It is the same attitude that has fuelled his rise from Bariga to global acclaim, without ever having to abandon his linguistic or sonic identity.

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