Nigerian music stars Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy have secured multiple nominations for the 18th Headies Awards, yet rising star Fola tops the list with an impressive 10 nods after organisers released the full nominees on Tuesday. The announcement sets the stage for intense competition at Africa’s biggest music celebration, which heads to Toronto, Canada, on 23 October 2026. Only singles, videos, EPs and albums released and distributed on digital platforms between 1 August 2024 and 30 April 2026 were eligible.
Fola’s nominations span Album of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Recording of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Next Rated, Best Collaboration, Best R&B Album, Headies Viewer’s Choice and Songwriter of the Year. Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy feature strongly in major categories including Afrobeats Album of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year and Best Collaboration.
Here is the complete list of categories and nominees as revealed:
Rookie of the Year
Amma
Danpapa GTA
Firstklaz
Kidd Carter
No11
Priesst
OG Abbah
Best Recording of the Year
Kunmie — Arike
Amaeya — How Do You?
Rema — Baby (Is It A Crime)
Omah Lay ft. Elmah — Coping Mechanism
Davido ft. Omah Lay — With You
FOLA — you
Song Writer of the Year
Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold) — Many People
Anthony Ebuka Victor (Victony) — Cough Syrup (With BNXN)
Peace Chidinma Amaefula (Amaeya) — How Do You?
Fuayefika Maxwell (Wizard Chan) — Time Traveller
Odunlami Afolarin Temiloluwa (Fola) — Who Does That
Oluwabukunmi Ariyibi Peter (Kunmie) — Arike
Best R&B Single
Layefa — 6:35
Amaeya — How Do You?
Amma — I Love You
Tems — What You Need
Magixx — Winter & Summer
Tiwa Savage — You4Me
Best Rap Single
Odumodublvck — 2:02PM in London
Blaqbonez — ACL
Dremo — Man2Man
PDSTRN — Moshood
Tuff King — Nkemakonam
Zaylevelten & Mavo — Wuse Tu
Zhus Jdo — John Wick
Best Alternative Song
Luwa.mp4 ft. Jeleel! — Cyk Baddie
Sewa — Lagos Lovin
Wizard Chan — Oliver
Blnde —Omo To Sexy
Wavestar — Prada Baby
Obongjayar — Sweet Danger
Chief Priest ft. Boypee & Zoro Swagbag — Summer Adina
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Layefa — 6:35
Amaeya — How Do You?
Sewa — Lagos Lovin
Qing Madi — Scumbag
Liya — Skin To Skin
Tiwa Savage — You4Me
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Adekunle Gold — I’m Not Done
Flavour — Orente
Magixx — Winter & Summer
Odeal — Patience
Syemca — Love Egbugomo
Tay Iwar — Bad Belle
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 Alternative Album
SDC — Afrika MagikSewa — Detox
Wizard Chan — Healer’s Chapel
Scottyolorin — Olorin Pack
Zaylevelten — Then 1t Got Crazy
BOJ — Duplicity
Producer of the Year
Magicsticks
P.Prime
Ragee
Sarz
Tempoe
Music Video of the Year
Director Pink — 10 Kilo (Davido)
TG Omori — Afroculture (Flavour ft. Baaba Maal)
DK — Bundle By Bundle (Burna Boy)
Jyde Ajala — Kai (Olamide ft. Wizkid)
Meji Alabi — Who’s That Girl (Ayra Starr ft. Rema)
Dammy Twitch — With You (Davido ft. Omah Lay)
Best Collaboration
CKay & Mavo — Body (Danz)
Mavo & Wave$tar — Escaladizzy
Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — Hey Jago
Fola ft. Kizz Daniel — Lost
Odumodublvck ft. Victony — Pity This Boy
Davido ft. Omah Lay — With You
Mr Eazi & King Promise — See What We’ve Done
Chief Priest ft. Spyki — Finally
Best Street-Hop Artiste
Famous Pluto — Na Scra
Kashcoming — All My Money
Poco Lee — Hey Jago (ft. Shoday & Rahman Jago)
Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
Shallipopi — Laho
Tuff King — Nkemakonam
Rybeena — Gaddem (ft. Shoday)
Afrobeats Single of the Year
Rema — FUN
Asake & Wizkid — Jogodo
Fido — Joy Is Coming
Shallipopi — Laho
Davido x Omah Lay — With You
FOLA — you
Burna Boy — Bundle By Bundle
Lyricist on the Roll
Blaqbonez — ACL
Dremo — Man2Man
Modenine — If You Like Gym (with Odumodublvck)
PDSTRN — Moshood
Ycee — Man2Man (Ycee Remix) with Dremo
Best Inspirational Single
Sunmisola Agbebi & Yinka Okeleye — Amioluwa
Lawrence Oyor — Favour
Sinach — Idinma (You Are Good)
Emma OMG — Ko’Rin Iyin (I Will Praise You)
Gaise Baba, Lawrence Oyor — No Turning Back II
Mercy Chinwo — We Move
Headies Viewers’ Choice
Ayra Starr — Hot Body
Mavo — Escaladizzy ft. WAVE$TAR
Davido — With You ft. Omah Lay
Rema — Baby (Is It A Crime)
FOLA — you
Wizkid — Jogodo with Asake
Kunmie — Arike
Best West African Artiste
Black Sherif
Himra KiDi
King Promise
Moliy
Wally B. Seck
Stonebwoy
Best East African Artiste
ABIGAIL CHAMS
Bien
Bruce Melodie
Harmonize
Joshua Baraka
Best North African Artiste
Balti
Dystinct
Marwan Moussa
Soolking
Tool8te
Best Central African Artiste
Fally Ipupa
Ferré Gola
Heritier Watanabe
Hiro
Innoss’B
Locko
Best African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste
Debby Friday — Lipsync
Tome — CC (ft. Alpha P)
Bolu Ajibade — Diana (ft. Friyie)
Nonso Amad — Dive In
Roomy Kamiz — Deeper
Tobi — Out The Mud
International Artiste of the Year
Ciara
Dave
Gunna
Jazmine Sullivan
Shenseea
Best Rap Album
Tuff King — Black Sheepizen (The 13th Disciple)
A-Q — GE3 (The Beginning)
Erigga — G.O.A.T
Jeriq — KING
Blaqbonez — No Excuses
Odumodublvck — The Machine Is Coming
Best Original Song for Visual Media
All My Love — Osas Okonwon & Abbey Wonder
Behind the Scenes — Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro
Save Me — Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba
Only in Lagos — Wurld & Liya
Next Rated
Fido
Fola
Llona
Mavo
Shoday
Best Performer (Live)
Adekunle Gold
Asake
Ayra Starr
Johnny Drille
Ruger
Digital Artiste of the Year
Asake
Ayra Starr
BNXN
Chella
FOLA
Mavo
Seyi Vibez
Wizkid
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 ft. Omah Lay — With You
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
Album of the Year
Fola — Catharsis
Omah Lay — Clarity of Mind
Erigga — G.O.A.T
Wizkid — Morayo
Odumodublvck — The Machine Is Coming
Tiwa Savage — This One Is Personal
Burna Boy — No Sign of Weakness
Best Female Artiste
Ayra Starr
Qing Madi
Sewa
Tems
Teni
Tiwa Savage
Best Male Artiste
Adekunle Gold
Asake
Fola
Mavo
Rema
Wizkid
Burna Boy
Special Recognition Awards and Hall of Fame will also be presented.
Fans are already choosing sides as the race to Toronto heats up.