Fola Leads 18th Headies Awards Nominees, Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy Also Earn Nods

Fola leads the nominations for the 18th Headies Awards with 10 nods, while established stars including Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy also feature on the 2026 list unveiled on Tuesday, August 25.

The nominations recognise music released between August 1, 2024 and April 30, 2026, with emerging artistes including Fido, Mavo, Llona and Shoday joining established names across 35 categories.

 

Fola’s 10 nominations include Album of the Year, Next Rated, Songwriter of the Year and Best Male Artiste. His debut album, Catharsis, is also nominated for Best R&B Album, while “You” earns nominations for Best Recording of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Choice.

His collaboration with Kizz Daniel, “Lost,” is nominated for Best Collaboration, while Fola also receives a nomination for Digital Artiste of the Year.

 

Omah Lay follows with eight nominations, while Davido, Mavo and Wizkid each receive seven nods.

Davido’s nominations include Song of the Year and Afrobeats Single of the Year for his collaboration with Omah Lay, “With You.” Wizkid is nominated alongside Asake for “MMS,” which also competes in the Song of the Year category.

Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness is among the albums nominated for Album of the Year alongside Wizkid’s Morayo, Omah Lay’s Clarity of Mind, Fola’s Catharsis, Erigga’s G.O.A.T., Odumodublvck’s The Machine Is Coming and Tiwa Savage’s This One Is Personal.

 

Ayra Starr, Tiwa Savage Lead Female Nominees

Ayra Starr, and Tiwa Savage are among the leading female nominees, with five nominations each.

Ayra Starr is nominated for Best Female Artiste and Digital Artiste of the Year. Her song “Hot Body” is in contention for Song of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Choice, while the track also earns Producer of the Year nominations for Ragee and Sarz.

Her collaboration with Rema, “Who’s Dat Girl,” also earns Sarz a Producer of the Year nomination.

Tems receives nominations for Best Female Artiste and Best R&B Single for “What You Need.” Her album Love Is a Kingdom is also nominated for Best R&B Album.

 

Tiwa Savage is nominated for Best Female Artiste, while This One Is Personal competes for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. Her song “You4Me” is nominated for Best Vocal Performance (Female) and Best R&B Single.

The 18th Headies will take place in Toronto, Canada, on October 23, marking the awards’ return to an international venue after the 16th edition was held in Atlanta in 2023 and the 17th edition returned to Lagos in 2025. The organisers are positioning the Toronto edition under the theme “Africa to the World.”

The 18th Headies Awards ceremony is scheduled for 9 p.m. on October 23, with the red carpet beginning at 5 p.m.

 

 

Full List of 2026 Headies Nominees

 

Song of the Year

• Kunmie, “Arike”
• Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago, “Hey Jago”
• Ayra Starr, “Hot Body”
• Fido, “Joy Is Coming”
• Asake & Wizkid, “MMS”
• Davido & Omah Lay, “With You”

Afrobeats Single of the Year

• Rema, “Fun”
• Asake & Wizkid, “Jogodo”
• Shallipopi, “Laho”
• Davido & Omah Lay, “With You”
• Fola, “You”
• Burna Boy, “Bundle by Bundle”

Best Performer (Live)

• Adekunle Gold Live at the National Theatre, Lagos
• Asake, Red Bull Symphonic
• Ayra Starr, Global Citizen Festival 2025
• Johnny Drille, Johnny’s Room Live 6
• Ruger, Live at Indigo at The O2, London (2025)

Best R&B Album

• Kunmie, Before We Became Strangers
• Fola, Catharsis
• Qing Madi, I Am the Blueprint
• Tems, Love Is a Kingdom
• Tay Iwar, Reflection Station
• Tiwa Savage, This One Is Personal

Best Recording of the Year

• Kunmie, “Arike”
• Amaeya, “How Do You?”
• Rema, “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
• Omah Lay & Elmah, “Coping Mechanism”
• Davido & Omah Lay, “With You”
• Fola, “You”

Best Alternative Album

• SDC, Afrika Magik
• Sewa, Detox
• BOJ, Duplicity
• Wizard Chan, Healers Chapel
• Scottyolorin, Olorin Pack
• Zaylevelten, Then 1t Got Crazy

Digital Artiste of the Year

• Asake
• Ayra Starr
• BNXN
• Chella
• Fola
• Mavo
• Seyi Vibez
• Wizkid 

  

Next Rated

• Fido
• Fola
• Llona
• Mavo
• Shoday

Afrobeats Album of the Year

• Davido, 5ive
• BNXN, Captain
• Omah Lay, Clarity of Mind
• Adekunle Gold, Fuji
• Wizkid, Morayo
• Burna Boy, No Sign of Weakness

Music Video of the Year

• Director Pink, “10 Kilo” by Davido
• Dammy Twitch, “With You” by Davido
• TG Omori, “Afroculture” by Flavour ft. Baaba Maal
• Jyde Ajala, Wizard Chan
• DK, “Bundle by Bundle” by Burna Boy

Best Female Artiste

• Ayra Starr
• Qing Madi
• Sewa
• Tems
• Teni
• Tiwa Savage

Best Male Artiste

• Adekunle Gold
• Asake
• Fola
• Mavo
• Rema
• Wizkid
• Burna Boy

Rookie of the Year

• Amma
• Danpapa Gta
• Firstklaz
• Kidd Carder
• No11
• Priesst
• OG Abbah

Best Inspirational Single

• Sunmisola Agbebi ft. Yinka Okeleye, “Amioluwa”
• Lawrence Oyor, “Favour”
• Sinach, “Idinma (You Are Good)”
• EmmaOMG, “Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You)”
• Gaise Baba ft. Lawrence Oyor, “No Turning Back 2”
• Mercy Chinwo, “We Move”

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

• Adekunle Gold, “I’m Not Done”
• Flavour, “Orente”
• Magixx, “Winter and Summer”
• Odeal, “Patience”
• Syemca, “Love Egbugomo”
• Tay Iwar, “Bad Belle”

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

• Layefa, “6:35”
• Amaeya, “How Do You?”
• Sewa, “Lagos Lovin”
• Qing Madi, “Scum Bag”
• Liya, “Skin to Skin”
• Tiwa Savage, “You4Me”

Hall of Fame

• Awilo Longomba

Best Street-Hop Artiste

• Famous Pluto, “Na Scra”
• Kashcoming, “All My Money”
• Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago, “Hey Jago”
• Seyi Vibez, “Shaolin”
• Shallipopi, “Laho”
• Tuff King, “Nkemakonam”
• Rybeena, “Gaddem” ft. Shoday

International Artiste of the Year

• Ciara
• Dave
• Gunna
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Shenseea
• Tiakola

  

Writer of the Year

• Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold), “Many People”
• Anthony Ebuka Victor (Victony), “Cough Syrup” with BNXN
• Fuayefika Maxwell (Wizard Chan), “Time Traveller”
• Odunlami Afolarin Temiloluwa (Fola), “Who Does That?”
• Oluwabukunmi Ariyibi Peter (Kunmie)
• Peace Chidinma Amaefula (Amaeya), “How Do You?”

Best Headies Collaboration

• CKay ft. Mavo, “Body (Danz)”
• Mavo ft. Wavestar, “Escaladizzy”
• Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago, “Hey Jago”
• Fola ft. Kizz Daniel, “Lost”
• Odumodublvck ft. Victony, “Pity This Boy”
• Davido ft. Omah Lay, “With You”
• Mr Eazi & King Promise, “See What We’ve Done”
• Chief Priest ft. Spyki, “Finally”

African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste

• Debby Friday, “Lipsync”
• Tôme, “CC” ft. Alpha P
• Bolu Ajibade, “Diana” with Friyie
• Nonso Amadi, “Dive In”
• Rooky Kamiz, “Deeper”
• Tobi, “Out the Mud”

East African Artiste

• Abigail Chams, Tanzania
• Bien, Kenya
• Bruce Melodie, Rwanda
• Harmonize, Tanzania
• Joshua Baraka, Uganda

West African Artiste

• Black Sherif, Ghana
• Himra, Côte d’Ivoire
• KiDi, Ghana
• King Promise, Ghana
• Moliy, Ghana
• Wally B. Seck, Senegal
• Stonebwoy, Ghana

Best Alternative Song

• Luwa.mp4 ft. Jeleel!, “CYK Baddie”
• Sewa, “Lagos Lovin”
• Wizard Chan, “Oliver”
• Binde, “Omo to Sexy”
• Wavestar, “Prada Baby”
• Obongjayar, “Sweet Danger”
• Chief Priest ft. BoyPee & Zoro Swagbag, “Summer Adina”

North African Artiste

• Balti, Tunisia
• Dystinct, Morocco
• Marwan Moussa, Egypt
• Soolking, Algeria
• Tul8te, Egypt

Central African Artiste

• Fally Ipupa, DR Congo
• Ferré Gola, DR Congo
• Héritier Watanabe, DR Congo
• Hiro, DR Congo
• Innoss’B, DR Congo
• Locko, Cameroon

Rap Single

• Odumodublvck, “2:02 PM in London”
• Blaqbonez, “ACi”
• Dremo, “Man2Man”
• PDSTRN, “Moshood”
• Tuff King, “Nkemakonam”
• Zaylevelten & Mavo, “Wuse Tu”
• Zhus Jdo, “John Wick”

R&B Single

• Layefa, “6:35”
• Amaeya, “How Do You?”
• Amma, “I Love You”
• Tems, “What You Need”
• Magixx, “Winter & Summer”
• Tiwa Savage, “You4Me”

Producer of the Year

• Magicsticks, “Jogodo” by Asake & Wizkid and “Real, Vol. 1” by Asake & Wizkid
• P.Priime, “MMS” by Asake & Wizkid, “Baby (Is It a Crime)” by Rema, “Billionaires Club” by Olamide, Darkoo & Wizkid
• Ragee, “Hot Body” by Ayra Starr
• Sarz, “Hot Body” by Ayra Starr and “Who’s Dat Girl” by Ayra Starr ft. Rema
• Tempoe, “With You” by Davido ft. Omah Lay and “SMH” by Joeboy

Viewers’ Choice

• Ayra Starr, “Hot Body”
• Davido, “With You” ft. Omah Lay
• Rema, “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
• Fola, “You”
• Wizkid, “Jogodo” with Asake
• Kunmie, “Arike”
• Mavo, “Escaladizzy” ft. Wavestar

Original Song for Visual Media

• Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder, “All My Love” from Evi
• Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro, “Behind the Scenes” from Behind the Scenes
• Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba, “Save Me” from To Kill a Monkey
• WurlD & Liya, “Only in Lagos” from Christmas in Lagos
  

Lyricist on the Roll

• Blaqbonez, “ACi”
• Dremo, “Man2Man”
• Modenine, “If You Like Gym” with Odumodublvck
• PDSTRN, “Moshood”
• Ycee, “Man2Man” remix with Dremo