Darey, Falz, Simi, others top Headies nominee list

Simi, who recently released an EP, Chemistry, with Falz, is nominated for Best Recording of the Year and the Best R&B Single, while Falz is nominated in the Artiste of the Year category, and Album of the Year for Stories that Touch.

Both are nominated for Best Collabo, for their collaboration on ‘Soldier’. Brymo, long recognised as one of Nigeria's finest artistes but low on popular acclaim, is nominated for Best R&B/Pop Album for Klitoris, and Best Alternative Song for 'Something Good Is Happening.' Darey's Naked is also in the running for Best R&B/Pop Album.

Wizkid, in what is now a remarkable year for him, returns to the Headies nomination list as a contender for Best Pop Single, Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year categories. This is on the back of recent wins at the MOBO awards, All Africa Music Awards, MTV Africa Music Awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards. Wizkid already has five wins at the Headies, his first came in the Next Rated category in 2011 for ‘Holla at your Boy’; his most recent was 2015's Best R&B/Pop Album award for Ayo.

By considering work released from July 2015 – June 2016 artists like Tekno, whose songs have been popular, will have to wait till next year for a recognition of their efforts. Tekno, however, appears in the Next Rated category, a category which attracted controversy at the last edition.

The Headies, formerly known as the Hip Hop World Awards, was established in 2006 to celebrate excellence in the Nigerian music industry. Below is a full list of the nominations for the 2016 award:

Best recording of the Year

• Emergency – D’banj
• Pray For Me – Darey Feat. Soweto Choir
• Love Don’t Care – Simi
• Orente – Adekunle Gold
• Something Good Is Happening – Brymo

Producer of the Year

• Dj Coublon ‘Good Time & Raba’
• Pheels – ‘Pick Up & Lagos Boys’ – Olamide
• Legendury Beats – ‘Final – Baba Nla’ Wizkid
• Young John – ‘Mama’ – Kiss Daniel
• Mastakraft – ‘Fada Fada’, ‘Connect’ – Phyno
• Oscar Herman-Ackah – ‘Pray For Me’ – Darey

Best Music Video

• Emergency (D’banj) – Unlimited La
• Mary (Seyi Shay) – Meji Alabi
• Soldier (Falz Tha Bad Guy) – Clarence Peters
• Made For You – Banky W
• Bad – Tiwa Savage Feat. Wizkid – Sesan

Best R&B/Pop Album

• New Era – Kiss Daniel
• Wanted – Wande Coal
• Klitoris – Brymo
• Naked – Darey
• Seyi Or Shay – Seyi Shay

Best R&B Single

• Love Don’t Care – Simi
• Made For You – Banky W
• Super Woman – Wande Coal
• Pray For Me – Darey
• Aduke – Tjan
• Smile – Shaydee

Best Pop Single

• Mama – Kiss Daniel
• Final (Baba Nla) – Wizkid
• Pick Up – Adekunle Gold
• Osinachi – Humblesmith Feat. Davido
• Reggae Blues – Harrysong Feat. Orezi, Iyanya, Olamide, Kcee
• Emergency – D’banj
• Fada Fada – Phyno Feat. Olamide
• Money – Timaya Feat. Flavour

Best Reggae/Dancehall Single

• No Kissing’ – Patoranking Ft Sarkodie
• Body Hot – Praiz Ft. Jesse Jagz & Stone Bwoy
• Jaga Love – Jesse Jagz
• Olowo – Cynthia Morgan
• Pam Pam – Ketchup
• Timaya – I Like The Way

Best Rap Album

• Eyan Mayweather – Olamide
• Powerful – Ill Bliss
• Stories That Touch – Falz
• Lil’ Kesh – Yagi

Best Collabo

• Soldier – Falz Feat. Simi
• Reggae Blues – Harrysong Feat. Orezi, Iyanya, Olamide, Kcee
• Osinachi – Humblesmith Feat. Davido
• Wait – Solidstar Feat. Tiwa Savage
• No Kissing – Patoranking Feat. Sarkodie
• Money – Timaya Feat. Flavour

Best Rap Single

• Eyan Mayweather – Olamide
• Asamalekun – Reminisce
• Jagaban – Ycee
• Chukwu Agozi Gogi – Ill Bliss
• Agu Ji Ndi Men – A-Q
• Show You Something – Boogey

Best Vocal Performance (male)

• Brymo – Something Good Is Happening
• Darey Feat. Soweto Choir – Pray For Me
• Shaydee – Smile
• Wande Coal – Super Woman
• Ric Hassani – Gentleman

Best Vocal Performance (female)

• Simi – Love Don’t Care
• Seyi Shay – Right Now
• Aramide Feat. Adekunle Gold – Love Me
• Omawumi Feat. Angelie Kidjo – Play Na Play

Next Rated

• Ycee
• Tekno
• Mr. Eazi
• Humblesmith
• Aramide

Hip Hop World Revelation

• Kiss Daniel – New Era
• Seyi Shay – Seyi Or Shay
• Lil’ Kesh – Yagi
• Runtown – Ghetto University

Lyricist on the Roll

• Ill Bliss – Chukwu Agozi Gogi
• Reminsce – Asalamaleku
• Ycee – Jagaban
• Boogey – Show You Something
• A-Q – Agu Ji Ndi Men’
• Modenine – No Matter What

Best street-hop Artiste

• Olamide – Who You Epp
• Ajebutter Feat. Falz – Bad Gang
• Koker – Ko Le Werk
• Ycee – Jagaban
• Small Dokta – Gbera
• 2t Boys – Customer Dada Ni

Best ‘Alternative’ Song

• Pick Up – Adekunle Gold
• Something Good Is Happening – Brymo
• You Suppose Know – Bez
• Wait For Me – Johnny Drille
• Gentleman – Ric Hassani

Album of the Year

• Stories That Touch – Falz
• New Era – Kiss Daniel
• Wanted – Wande Coal
• Seyi or Shay – Seyi Shay

Artiste of the Year

• Wizkid
• Tiwa Savage
• Falz
• Yemi Alade
• Olamide

Song of the Year

• Final (Baba Nla) – Wizkid
• Osinachi – Humblesmith Feat. Davido
• Pick Up – Adekunle Gold
• Reggae Blues – Harrysong Feat.
• Fada Fada – Phyno Feat. Olamide

African Artiste

• Sauti Sol
• Casper Nyovest
• Dj Maphorisa
• Stonebwoy
• Sarkodie