Login
Music In Africa
Artists (48,123) Organizations, Networks & Associations (4,622) Artist Service Providers (4,427) Music Education (3,169) Archives & Media (518) Events & Venues (227)
Solo artists
Composers, arrangers & songwriters
Producers
Bands /groups
DJs
Sound artists
Other
Session artists
Choirs, orchestras & ensembles
Spoken word
News Reviews Features Themes Gig Guide
Long Story Short named Apple Music’s Up Next artist for South Africa

Long Story Short named Apple Music’s Up Next artist for South Africa

SA: SOL Distro marks first year with more than 1,000 artists, R1m in royalty payouts

SA: SOL Distro marks first year with more than 1,000 artists, R1m in royalty payouts

Spotify adds control to exclude kids’ music from personalised recommendations, Wrapped

Spotify adds control to exclude kids’ music from personalised recommendations, Wrapped

UMG sues DistroKid over alleged copyright infringement, deceptive practices

UMG sues DistroKid over alleged copyright infringement, deceptive practices

SA: Free the Jazz to showcase emerging talent on Heritage Day

SA: Free the Jazz to showcase emerging talent on Heritage Day

SA: Bontle Modiselle, Robot Boii and Baba Mthethwa to host Scorpion Kings Live

SA: Bontle Modiselle, Robot Boii and Baba Mthethwa to host Scorpion Kings Live

Sun-El Musician confirmed for ACCES 2026 in Joburg

Sun-El Musician confirmed for ACCES 2026 in Joburg

Nigeria: Yemi Alade drops ‘IT’S YEMI ALADE’ album

Nigeria: Yemi Alade drops ‘IT’S YEMI ALADE’ album

Linda Sikhakhane announces South Africa, US tour for fifth album

Linda Sikhakhane announces South Africa, US tour for fifth album

Nigeria: Rema releases new single ‘Oh No’ ahead of new project

Nigeria: Rema releases new single ‘Oh No’ ahead of new project

SA: Tumi Musiq prepares new single ‘Many Phases’

SA: Tumi Musiq prepares new single ‘Many Phases’

UMG, ElevenLabs announce AI music licensing partnership

UMG, ElevenLabs announce AI music licensing partnership

NEFCISA
NEFCISA

The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) is proud of its partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as a Strategic Implementing Partner (SIP) for its Social Employment Fund (SEF). Through this collaboration, MIAF is running a national programme that is creating jobs, addressing skills gaps, and strengthening South Africa's creative industries — in line with the SEF's overarching goal to generate work for the common good and build community value through employment, social contribution, and inclusive economic participation. Operating under the banner NEFCISA (National Employment Facility for Creative Industries in South Africa), the initiative is recruiting and training participants, matching them with host organisations, and has already placed 1 500 workers across the country — surpassing its original target of 1 000. NEFCISA is delivered through a network of 20 host organisations spanning five provinces, who are actively hosting participants and contributing to work for the common good across South Africa's creative and cultural industries. Key Objectives: Support employment and entrepreneurship in the creative industries. Offer skills development and training programmes. Foster partnerships between public and private creative sectors. Promote South African creativity at both provincial and national levels Foster community development through social contribution.

ACCES
ACCES

ACCES Conference and Showcase Festival is Africa's leading music industry gathering, bringing together the people shaping the future of the continent's music business. Artists, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers and cultural leaders from across Africa and around the world come to ACCES to build partnerships, exchange ideas, discover talent and create new business opportunities. Since its launch in 2017, ACCES has become the continent's premier platform for professional exchange and music market development. Combining a high-level conference with a curated showcase festival, networking, exhibitions and industry programmes, ACCES offers a unique space where creativity meets business and where African music connects with the global industry.

Gender@Work
Gender@Work

Music In Africa Gender @ Work is a three-year training programme aimed at upskilling and increasing the participation of female professionals in the African music sector. Launched by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in April 2019, the programme is connected to the MIAF’s ACCES music conference – a pan-African event held in a different African country every year. This connection enables the programme to reach new participants in a different African country every year. The programme marks the beginning of a more concerted effort by the Foundation to support the participation and inclusion of women in all facets of its programmes and the music sector in Africa as a whole. Over the three years, the programme will aim to address gender imbalances in the sector through training, lobbying, facilitating knowledge exchange and dialogues that foster the interest of women. The broader objectives of the programme are to: Provide industry training for women on critical music industry skills, focusing on: Stage management Electronic music production and recording Music business management Technical knowledge Provide an opportunity for both professional and aspiring women to benefit from the Music In Africa network and its broad range of activities in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Provide a solution-based platform in the form of a round table at ACCES with a view to identify challenges, discuss opportunities and lobby for the interests of female practitioners. Offer participants the opportunity to benefit from programmes offered by MIAF’s partners. Increase access to educational materials. Integrate participants in the broader ACCES programme to maximise experience and exposure to the industry. Record and present training materials on the www.musicinafrica.net, including but not limited to tutorials, templates and other best-practice materials. Communicate women-based themes that support the initiatives and messages of the programme. MAIN TRAINING ACTIVITIES Training in first country (Ghana): In the first year, participants will be trained on all aspects of stage management by a team of experienced stage managers from 10 to 17 November 2019. The programme will offer robust classroom training as well as practical, hands-on training in which participants will also be given the opportunity to manage various aspects of the ACCES performance programme. Training in second country: The second training iteration will take place at ACCES 2020 when the programme will diversify its course to include music production lessons and training on other music business topics. A round-table platform will also be introduced to coincide with the ACCES programme. Training in third country: The third training iteration will take place at ACCES 2021 in a different country, offering an advanced course. HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED?  As a participant, facilitator or trainer: The programme enrolls up to 12 trainees every year. All opportunities are advertised publicly on this website, and will be added to this page. Please keep checking this page for new calls (below under UPDATES & CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES). As a partner Please contact Claire Metais at [email protected]. APPLY The call for applications for 2020 will be announced soon. The Music In Africa Gender @ Work programme is made possible with the support of the Prince Claus Fund, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Sound Connects Fund
Sound Connects Fund

For cultural and creative practitioners and organisations operating in southern Africa, access to funding remains a major challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a massive impact on government policy, spending and the economy in general, and has seen spending on culture being moved further down the list of priorities. Further, the cultural and creative industries repeatedly cite four main areas where investment is needed for growth, which are increased visibility, mobility including access to new markets, finance and support structures.

Instrument Building And Repair Project
Instrument Building And Repair Project

Experience the Vibrations African Instruments Exhibition online in 3D

Music In Africa
Home / 2018 Headies
2018 Headies

Simi, Davido and other 2018 Headies winners in Music in Africa

In-house West Africa By In-house West Africa

10 May 2018 - 17:18

cc-img flag-img

The 2018 edition of Nigeria’s most prestigious music awards took place at a ceremony held in Lagos.

Simi won three awards at the 2018 Headies. Photo: X3M

While Wizkid won the most awards, carting home four, Davido and Simi won the Headies’ biggest awards. Davido was named Artist of the Year and his song ‘FIA’ was the Song of the Year. Simi won the Album of the Year award with her sophomore Simisola.

Other winners include Mayorkun and MI Abaga. The former was crowned the Next Rated artist; the latter won two awards, including Lyricist on the Roll, the most debated Headies category for Nigerian rappers.

Several artists and songs that were named winners have been covered by Music In Africa. Below we have presented a list of the 2018 Headies winners alongside our articles about them.

Rookie of the Year

Teni

Read our review of Teni’s breakout single ‘Fargin’

Best Rap Single

"You Rappers Should Fix up your Life" – M.I

Read our review of an MI single and check out a top 10 list of songs by MI

Best Street Hop

"Penalty" – Small Doctor

Read our article on Small Doctor's influences and take a closer look at his hit single Penalty

Best Pop Single

"IF" – Davido

Read our review of ‘If’

Best R&B Single

"Smile for Me" – Simi

Read our review of Simi’s album Simisola

Lyricist on the Roll

"You Rappers Should Fix up your Lives" – M.I

Best Performer

Yemi Alade

Read our review of Yemi Alade’s last album

Producer of the Year

Kiddominant

Best Collabo

"Ma Lo" – Tiwa Savage feat. Wizkid

Read our review of the Sugarcane EP, which hosts the single ‘Ma Lo’

Best Reggae/Dancehall Single

"Holy Holy" – 2Baba

Read our review of ‘Holy Holy’

Best Recording of the Year

"Joromi" – Simi

Read our review of Joromi

Hip Hop World Revelation

Reekado Banks

Read our review of Reekado Banks’ debut album

Next Rated

Mayorkun

Read our review of Mayorkun's Mama

Best Alternative Song

"Fun Mi Lowo Mi" – Aramide feat. Sound Sultan & Koker

Read our review of Aramide’s Suitcase album

African Artist of the Year

Nasty C

Headies Viewers’ Choice

"Come Closer" – Wizkid

Read our review of Wizkid’s Sound from the Other Side

Best Music Video

"Come Closer" – Wizkid. Directed by Daps

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

"Butterflies" – Omawumi

Read our review of Omawumi’s last album

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

Folashade – Praiz

Best R&B/Pop Album

Sounds from the Other Side – Wizkid

Read our review of Wizkid’s Sound from the Other Side

Best Rap Album

El Hadj – Reminisce

Read our review of El Hadj

Song of the Year

"IF" – Davido

Album of the Year

Simisola – Simi

Read our review of Simisola

Artist of the Year

Davido

Read our report on how Davido conquered 2017

Special Recognition Award

Kaffy

Headies Hall of Fame

Chris Ubosi

Please log in to post a comment.

facebook twitter linkedin whatsapp email

Most popular

Call For Applications : ACCES seeks a UK-based performer

10 Sep 2026
Sam Deep.

Top amapiano songs of 2026

16 Feb 2026
Burna Boy. Photo: Maja Moan

Top Afrobeats songs of 2026

19 Mar 2026

Open call: Goethe-Institut grants for Southern African creatives

08 Sep 2026
Rema emerged as the most decorated artist of the night, taking home three awards.

AFRIMA 2026: All the winners

12 Jan 2026

Open call: Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation 2026 funding programmes

04 Sep 2026

Open call: FAME Week Africa, Pressure Cooker Studios songwriting camp

09 Sep 2026

Disclaimer: Music In Africa provides a platform for musicians and contributors to embed music and videos solely for promotional purposes. If any track or video embedded on this platform violates any copyrights please inform us immediately and we will take it down. Please read our Terms of Use for more.

newsletter banner

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter

Follow us on social media

social icon social icon social icon social icon