Headies 2023: All the nominees

Established by Hip Hop World Magazine in 2006, the Headies are Nigeria’s top music awards honouring outstanding feats at home and across Africa. 

This year’s awards will reward works released between January 2022 and March 2023. Among the most nominated acts at the upcoming ceremony are Burna Boy with 10, Asake with nine and Pheelz and Bnxn with six each. Last year’s big winner Wizkid is absent from the 2023 list. 

Below are the nominees: 

Best Recording of the Year

• ‘Alone’ by Burna Boy
• ‘Soweto’ by Victony and Tempoe
• ‘I’m a Mess’ by Omah Lay
• ‘Ku Lo Sa’ by Oxlade
• ‘Stand Strong’ by Davido
• ‘No Woman, No Cry’ by Tems

Producer of the Year

• Magicstickz (Sungba Remix)
• Pheelz (Electricity)
• Andrevibez & London (Calm Down)
• Tempoe (Soweto)
• Kel-P (Kpe Paso)
• Rexxie (Abracadabra)

Songwriter of the Year

• ‘Loyal’ by Simi
• ‘I’m a Mess’ by Omah Lay
• ‘Lift Me Up’ by Tems
• ‘Alone’ by Burna Boy
• ‘In My Mind’ by BNXN fka Buju
• ‘Earth Song’ by Wizard Chan

Best R&B Single

• ‘For My Hand’ by Bruna Boy ft. ED Sheeran
• ‘Mmadu’ by CKay
• ‘Just 4 u’ by Dami Oniru
• ‘Red Wine’ By Preye
• ‘Hard to Find’ by Chike ft. Flavour
• ‘Loyal’ by Simi ft. Fave

Best Rap Single

• ‘Hustle’ by Reminisce ft. BNXN
• ‘Big Energy’ by Ladi Poe
• ‘Back in Uni’ by Blaq Bonez
• ‘Bando Diaries’ by Psycho YP ft. Odumodublvck
• ‘Declan Rice’ by Odumodublvck
• ‘My Bro’ by Jeriq the Hussla ft. Phyno

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

• ‘Loyal’ Simi
• ‘In Between’ Waje
• ‘Memories’ Niniola
• ‘Adua Remix’ Liya
• ‘Red Wine’ Preye Itams
• ‘Just 4 U’ Dami Oniru

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

• ‘Ku Lo Sa’ Oxlade
• ‘My Only Baby’ Ric Hassani
• ‘Love Don’t Cost a Dime’ Magixx
• ‘Spell Remix’ Chike
• ‘Reckless’ Praiz
• ‘Kpe Paso’ Wande Coal

Best Alternative Song

• ‘Earth Song’ by Wizard Chan
• ‘Final Champion’ by Cruel Santino
• ‘The Traveller’ by Basketmouth and The Cavemen
• ‘In a Loop’ By BOJ ft. Mellissa
• ‘Game Changer’ by Flavour
• ‘Tinko Tinko’ by Obongjayar

Best Music Video

• ‘Back in Uni’ by Blaq Bonez Perliks
• ‘PBUY’ by TG Omori
• ‘Spell (Remix)’ by Director Pink
• ‘Common Person’ By Director K
• ‘Bandana’ by TG Omori
• ‘Calm Down (Remix)’ by Director K

Best Collaboration

• ‘Sungba Remix’ by Asake ft. Burna Boy
• ‘Gwagwalada’ by Bnxn ft. Kizz Daniel & Seyi Vibez 
• ‘Finesse’ by Pheelz ft. Bnxn 
• ‘Who’s Your Guy Remix’ by Spyro ft. Tiwa Savage 
• ‘Electricity’ By Pheelz ft. Davido
• ‘Kpe Paso’ By Wande Coal ft. Olamide 

Best Street-Hop Artist

• Rexxie ft. Naira Marley & Skiibii – ‘Abracadabra’
• Seyi Vibez  –  ‘Chance’
• Asake  –  ‘Joha’
• Zlatan ft. Young Jonn –  ‘Astalavista’
• Poco Lee & Hotkid  – ‘Otilo’
• Mohbad – ‘Peace’

Digital Artist of the Year

• Burna Boy
• Ayra Starr 
• Rema
• Omah Lay
• Kizz Daniel
• Asake 

International Artist of the Year

• Drake 
• Future 
• Selena Gomez 
• Don Toliver
• Ed Sheeran 

Afrobeats Single of the Year

• ‘Last Last’ by Burna Boy
• ‘Rush’ by Ayra Starr
• ‘Buga’ by Kizz Daniel & Tekno
• ‘Finesse’ by Pheelz ft. Bnxn
• ‘Who’s Your Guy?’ by Spyro
• ‘Asiwaju’ by Ruger

Headies’ Viewers’ Choice

• Ruger – ‘Asiwaju’
• Victony & Tempoe – ‘Soweto’
• Fireboy DML & Asake – ‘Bandana’
• Ayra Star – ‘Rush’
• Asake – Terminator’
• Mavins – ‘Overloading’
• Crayon – ‘Ijo (Laba Laba)’
• Oxlade – ‘Ku Lo Sa’
• Kizz Daniel & Tekno  – ‘Buga’
• Pheelz & Davido  – ‘Electricity’

Best West African Artist of the Year

• Gyakie (Ghana)
• Black Sherif (Ghana)
• The Therapist (Liberia)
• Camidoh (Ghana)

Best East African Artist of the Year

• Zuchu
• Diamond Platinumz
• Rayvanny
• Eddy Kenzo
• Hewan Gebreworld

Best North African Artist of the Year

• Marwa Loud  (Morocco)
• Wegz  (Egypt)
• El Grande Toto  ( Morocco)
• Soolking  ( Algeria)

Best Southern African Artist of the Year

• AKA (South Africa)
• Nasty C  ( South Africa)
• Costa Titch  (South Africa)
• Uncle Waffles  (South Africa)
• Focalistic  (South Africa)
• DJ Tarico  (Mozambique)

Best Central African Artist of the Year

• Fally Ipupa  (DRC)
  Gaz Mawete  (DRC)
  Matias Damasio  (Angola)
  Emma’a  ( Gabon)
  Libianca  (Cameroon)

African Artist of the Year

• Rema (Nigeria)
• Burna Boy (Nigeria)
• Marwa Loud (Morocco) 
• Black Sherif (Ghana) 
• Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

Best R&B Album

• Home  by Johnny Drille
• The Brother’s Keeper  by Chike
• Reckless  by Praiz
• Waje 2.0  by Waje
• Matter of Time  by  Dami Oniru
• To Be Honest by Simi

Best Alternative Album

• Horoscopes  by  Basketmouth
• Gbagada Express  by BOJ
• Some Nights I Dream Of Doors  by  Obongjayar
• Subaru Boys: Final Heaven  by Cruel Santino
• Heart Of The Heavenly Undeniable  by Omadina
• Native World  by Native Sound System

Best Rap Album

• Fly Talk Only  by  Payper Corleone
• Palmwine Music Vol 3  by Show Dem Camp
• Young Preacher  by  Blaqbonez
• YP SZN 3  by Psycho YP
• Teslim: The Energy Still Lives In Me  by Vector
• Billion Dollar Dream  by Jeriq

Lyricist on the Roll

• Ladipoe 
• Vector
• Payper Corleone
• Alpha Ojini 
• A-Q 
• TEC (SDC) 

Best Inspirational Single

• ‘Stand Strong’ by  Davido ft. Sunday Service Choir
• ‘Jireh (My Provider)’ by Limoblaze, Lecrae & Happi Music
• ‘This Year’ by Victor Thompson & Ehis D’ Greatest
• ‘Eze Ebube’ by Neon Adejo
• ‘Tobechukwu’ by Nathaniel Bassey & Mercy Chinwo
• ‘I Get Backing’ – Victoria Orenze

Album of the Year

• Love, Damini  by Burna Boy
• Mr Money With The Vibe  by Asake
• Rave & Roses  by Rema
• Boy Alone  by Omah Lay
• Outlaw  by Victony
• Timeless  by  Davido

Song of the Year

• ‘Calm Down’  by Rema
• ‘Last Last’  by  Burna Boy
• ‘Ku Lo Sa’  by  Oxlade
• ‘Buga’  by  Kizz Daniel & Tekno
• ‘Finesse’ by Pheelz ft. Bnxn
• ‘Sungba Remix’  by  Asake ft. Burna Boy

Best Female Artist

• Tems
• Simi
• Ayra Starr
• Tiwa Savage

Best Male Artist

• Asake
• Rema
• Kizz Daniel
• Ruger
• Omah Lay
• Burna Boy

Next Rated

• Young Jonn
• Seyi Vibez
• Asake
• Victony
• Spyro

International Artist Recognition

• Sean ‘Love’ Combs

Hall of Fame 

• Youssou N'Dour

Special Recognition

• Sound Sultan