Headies 2022: All the nominees

Now in its 15th year, the annual scheme was founded by the Hip Hop World Magazine in 2006, and recognises outstanding musicians and music professionals in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

This year, the ceremony will be heading to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, making it the first time the event would be happening outside of Nigeria. 

Awards will be presented in more than 30 categories, including seven new awards, namely, Best Afrobeat Pop Single (Nigeria), Best Afrobeat Pop Album (Nigeria), Best African Collaboration and Best International Collaboration. Other new categories comprise African Artist of the Year, International Artist of the Year and Music Executive of the Year.

This year’s most-nominated acts include Wizkid with 10, Tems and Ayra Starr with eight apiece, and Davido and Adekunle with seven each. 

Below is the full list of nominees:

Rookie of the Year

• AV
• Fave
• Magixx
• Portable
• Ugoccie

Best Recording of the Year

• ‘Celebrate Me’ – Patoranking
• 'Essence' – Wizkid ft. Tems
• 'Joy' – Falana
• 'Loving Is Harder' – Johnny Drille
• 'Meji Meji' – Brymo
• 'Somebody’s Son' – Tiwa Savage ft. Brandy

Producer of the Year

• Beats By Jayy – 'Golden' (A-Q)
• Blaise Beatz – 'Sinner' (Adekunle Gold Ft. Lucky Daye)
• Niphkeys – 'Feel Good' (Mohbad)
• P Priime – 'Ozumba Mbadiwe' (Reekado Banks)
• Pheelz – 'High' (Adekunle Gold ft. Davido)
• Sarz – 'Monalisa' (Lojay & Sarz)

Songwriter of the Year

• Adekunle Gold –  'Sinner'
• Ajebo Hustlers – 'Loyalty'
• Brymo – 'Meji Meji'
• Falana – 'Joy'
• Fireboy DML – 'Peru'
• Omah Lay – 'Understand'

Best R&B Single

• 'Baby Riddim' – Fave
• 'Beggie Beggie' – Ayra Starr ft. CKay
• 'Essence' – Wizkid ft. Tems
• 'Running (To You)' – Chike ft. Simi
• 'Promise' – Niniola
• 'Sinner' – Adekunle Gold ft. Luck Daye

Best Rap Single

• 'Breathe' – A-Q ft Chike
• 'Crown of Clay' – Vector & MI Abaga ft. Pheelz
• 'Early Momo' – Vector ft. Goodgirl LA
• 'Feeling' – Ladipoe ft. Bnxn
• 'Tycoon' – Show Dem Camp ft. Reminisce & Mojo
• 'Loading' – Olamide ft. Bad Boy Timz

Best Alternative Song

• 'Doings' – Flavour'
• 'Free Your Mind' – Made Kuti
• 'Gonto' – Ibejii
• 'Hustle' – Basketmouth, The Cavemen, Bez, Dice Ailes
• 'Meji Meji' – Brymo
• 'Selense' – The Cavemen

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

• Ayra Starr – 'Toxic'Liya – 'Alari'
• Niniola – '6th Heaven
• Simi – 'Running (To You)'
• Tems – 'Essence'
• Waje – 'Last Time'

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

• Brymo – 'Meji Meji'
• Johnny Drille – 'Loving Is Harder'
• Oxlade – 'Ojuju'
• Ric Hassani – 'When I’m Gone'
• Tay Iwar – 'Peaking'

Lyricist on the Roll

• A-Q – 'the Last Cypher'
• Blaqbonez – 'The Last Cypher'
• Jesse Jagz – 'Vipers'
• Ladipoe – 'Providence'
• Payper Corleone – 'In Don We Trust'
• Vector – 'Crown of Clay'

Best Music Video

• 'Champion' – (Fireboy DML ft. D Smoke) – Directed by TG Omori
• 'Ginger' – (Wizkid ft. Burna Boy) – Directed by Meji Alabi
• 'Roju' – (Chike) – Directed by Pink
• 'Rain' – (Yemi Alade ft. Mzansi Youth Choir) – Directed by Ovie Etseyatse
• 'Bling' – (Blaqbonez ft. Amaarae & Bnxn) – Directed by Tg Omori
• 'Running' – (Ladipoe ft. Fireboy DML) – Directed by Director K

Best Collaboration

• 'Beggie Beggie' – Ayra Starr ft. CKay
• 'Bling' – Blaqbonez ft. Amaarae & Bnxn
• 'Early Momo' – Vector ft. Goodgirl La
• 'Essence' – Wizkid ft. Tems'Feeling' – Ladipoe ft. Bnxn
• 'Running (To You)' – Chike ft. Simi

Best Street-Hop Artist

• Bella Shmurda – 'Cash App' ft. Zlatan & Lincoln
• Rexxie & Mohbad – 'KPK’'
• Mohbad – 'Feel Good'
• Naira Marley – 'Koleyewon'
• Nektunez & Goya Menor – 'Ameno Amapiano (Remix)'
• Poco Lee & Portable ft. Olamide – 'Zazoo Zehh'

Best Afrobeats Single of the Year

• 'Bounce' – Ruger
• 'Bloody Samaritan' – Ayra Starr
• 'High' – Adekunle Gold ft. Davido
• 'Monalisa' – Lojay & Sarz
• 'Ozumba Mbadiwe' – Reekado Banks
• 'Peru' – Fireboy DML

Headies’ Viewer’s Choice

• Ayra Starr – 'Bloody Samaritan'
• Fireboy – 'Peru'
• Joeboy – 'sip'
• Lojay & Sarz – 'Monalisa'
• Nektunez & Goya Menor – 'Ameno Amapiano (Remix)'
• Olamide ft. Omah Lay – 'Infinity'
• Rema – 'Soundgasm'
• Wizkid ft. Tems – 'Essence'

Best West African Artist of the Year

• Amaarae (Ghana)
• Angélique Kidjo (Benin)
• Aya Nakamura (Mali)
• Gyakie (Ghana)
• KiDi (Ghana)
• Nelson Freitas (Cape Verde)

Best East African Artist of the Year

• Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)
• Eddy Kenzo (Uganda) 
• Harmonize (Tanzania)
• Meddy (Rwanda)
• Nikita Kering (Kenya)
• Zuchu (Tanzania)

Best North African Artist of the Year

• Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia)
• Elgrandetoto (Morocco)
• Latifa (Tunisia)
• Manal (Morocco)
• Muhamad Ramadan (Egypt)
• Soolking (Algeria)

Best Southern African Artist of the Year

• Black Coffee (South Africa)
• DJ Tarico (Mozambique)
• Elaine (South Africa)
• Focalistic (South Africa)
• Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe)
• Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)

Best Central African Artist of the Year

• Calema (Sao Tome & Principe)
• Blanche Bailly (Cameroon)
• Dadju (Dr Congo)
• Fally Ipupa (Dr Congo)
• Innoss’b (Dr Congo)
• Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

Best Afrobeats Album

• 19 And Dangerous – Ayra Starr
• A Better Time – Davido
• Barnabas – Kizz Daniel
• Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition)' – Wizkid
• Kpos Lifestyle – Ajebo Hustlers
• Wondaland – Teni

Best Reggae & Dancehall Album

• Gratitude – Timaya
• Love Is War – Prettyboy D-O
• Rainbow Riddim – Shank
• Three – Patoranking
• Yaadman Kingsize – Yung L

Best R&B Album

• Before We Fall Asleep – Johnny Drille
• If Orange Was A Place – Tems
• Love Deep High Life – Omawumi
• Rising – Falana
• The Prince I Became – Ric Hassani
• Water And Garri – Tiwa Savage

Best Alternative Album

• 9: Esan – Brymo
• Intermission – Ibejii
• Legacy + – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
• Love And Highlife – The Cavemen
• P.S. Thank You For Waiting – Wavy The Creator
• Yabasi – Basketmouth

Best Rap Album

• Carpe Diem – Olamide
• Clone Wars Vol. 5 – The Algorhythm – Show Dem Camp
• Golden – A-Q
• Mafia Culture, Vol. 2.0 – Idowest
• Providence – Ladipoe
• Sex Over Love  – Blaqbonez

Album of the Year

• 9: Esan – Brymo
• 19 & Dangerous – Ayra Starr
• Carpe Diem – Olamide
• Legacy + – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
• Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition) – Wizkid
• Yabasi – Basketmouth

Song of the Year

• 'Celebrate Me' – Patoranking
• 'Doings' – Flavour ft. Phyno
• 'Essence' – Wizkid ft. Tems
• 'High' – Adekunle Gold ft. Davido
• 'Monalisa' – Lojay & Sarz
• 'Peru' – Fireboy DML

Best Female Artist

• Simi
• Tems
• Tiwa Savage
• Teni
• Niniola

Best Male Artist

• Adekunle Gold
• Burna Boy
• Davido
• Flavour
• Olamide
• Wizkid

Next Rated

• Ayra Starr
• Bnxn
• Lojay
• Ruger
• Zinoleesky

African Artist of the Year

• Black Coffee (South Africa)
• Burna Boy (Nigeria)
• Davido (Nigeria)
• Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)
• Soolking (Algeria)
• Wizkid (Nigeria)
• Aya Nakamura (Mali/France)

International Artist Recognition

• Wyclef Jean
• Akon
• P Diddy

Special Recognition

• Bose Ogulu
• Sunday Are
• Efe Omorogbe

Hall of Fame

• Angélique Kidjo

Humanitarian Award of the Year

• 2Baba Idibia
• Ruggedman
• Davido
• Don Jazzy