The Headies has unveiled nominees for its 18th edition, with the prestigious African music awards scheduled to hold on October 25 in Toronto, Canada.
The organisers said the 2026 edition features 213 nominations across 35 categories, recognising artistes and music projects released between August 1, 2024 and April 30, 2026.
Fola leads the nominations with 10 nods, including Album of the Year, Next Rated, Songwriter of the Year and Best Male Artiste, following the release of his debut album, Catharsis. Omah Lay follows with eight nominations, while Mavo and Wizkid have seven each. Asake and Davido received six nominations apiece.
Among the female artistes, Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage lead with five nominations each, while Kunmie, Adekunle Gold, Odumodublvck and Shoday also received five nominations each. Davido and Omah Lay’s With You is the most-nominated song, appearing in six categories.
The Next Rated category features Fido, Fola, Llona, Mavo, Shoday and Zaylevelten, while nominees for Album of the Year include Fola’s Catharsis, Omah Lay’s Clarity of Mind, Wizkid’s Morayo, Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness and Tiwa Savage’s This Is Personal, among others.
Themed “Africa to the World,” the ceremony will also feature regional awards covering 16 African countries, as well as International Artiste of the Year and Best Canadian/African Diaspora Artiste. Congolese music legend Awilo Longomba is expected to receive the Headies Hall of Fame Award, while Cecil Hammond will receive the Special Recognition Award.
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