New categories have been introduced and they include Music Executive of the Year; Best Afrobeat Pop Single (Nigeria); Best Afrobeat Pop Album (Nigeria); Best African Collaboration; Best International Collaboration; African Artiste of the Year; and International Artiste of the Year.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.
- AV
- FAVE
- MAGIXX
- PORTABLE
- UGOCCIE
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artist or group in the year under review.
- “CELEBRATE ME” – PATORANKING
- “ESSENCE” – WIZKID feat. TEMS
- “JOY” – FALANA
- “LOVING IS HARDER” – JOHNNY DRILLE
- “MEJI MEJI” – BRYMO
- “SOMEBODY’S SON” – TIWA SAVAGE feat. BRANDY
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
- BEATS BY JAYY – “GOLDEN” (A-Q)
- BLAISE BEATZ – “SINNER” (ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. LUCKY DAYE)
- NIPHKEYS – “FEEL GOOD” (MOHBAD)
- P PRIIME – “OZUMBA MBADIWE” (REEKADO BANKS)
- PHEELZ – “HIGH” (ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. DAVIDO)
- SARZ – “MONALISA” (LOJAY & SARZ)
BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
- “BABY RIDDIM” – FAVE
- “BEGGIE BEGGIE” – AYRA STARR feat. CKAY
- “ESSENCE” – WIZKID feat. TEMS
- “RUNNING (TO YOU)” – CHIKE feat. SIMI
- “PROMISE” – NINIOLA
- “SINNER” – ADEKUNLE GOLD feat. LUCK DAYE
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.
- ADEKUNLE GOLD – “SINNER”
- AJEBO HUSTLERS – “LOYALTY”
- BRYMO – “MEJI MEJI”
- FALANA – “JOY”
- FIREBOY DML – “PERU”
- OMAH LAY – “UNDERSTAND”
BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
- “BREATHE” – A-Q feat. CHIKE
- “CROWN OF CLAY” – VECTOR & MI ABAGA feat. PHEELZ
- “EARLY MOMO” – VECTOR feat. GOODGIRL LA
- “FEELING” – LADIPOE feat. BNXN
- “TYCOON” – SHOW DEM CAMP feat. REMINISCE & MOJO
- “LOADING” – OLAMIDE feat. BAD BOY TIMZ
BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG
A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.
- “DOINGS” – FLAVOUR
- “FREE YOUR MIND” – MADE KUTI
- “GONTO” – IBEJII
- “HUSTLE” – BASKETMOUTH, THE CAVEMEN, BEZ, DICE AILES
- “MEJI MEJI” – BRYMO
- “SELENSE” – THE CAVEMEN
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with the most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
- AYRA STARR – “TOXIC”
- LIYA – “ALARI”
- NINIOLA – “6TH HEAVEN”
- SIMI – “RUNNING (TO YOU)”
- TEMS – “ESSENCE”
- WAJE – “LAST TIME”
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.
- BRYMO – “MEJI MEJI”
- JOHNNY DRILLE – “LOVING IS HARDER”
- OXLADE – “OJUJU”
- RIC HASSANI – “WHEN I’M GONE”
- TAY IWAR – “PEAKING”
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.
- “CHAMPION” – (FIREBOY DML feat. D SMOKE) DIRECTED BY TG OMORI
- “GINGER” – (WIZKID feat. BURNA BOY) DIRECTED BY MEJI ALABI
- “ROJU” – (CHIKE) DIRECTED BY PINK
- “RAIN” – (YEMI ALADE feat. MZANSI YOUTH CHOIR) DIRECTED BY OVIE ETSEYATSE
- “BLING” – (BLAQBONEZ feat. AMAARAE & BNXN) DIRECTED BY TG OMORI
- “RUNNING” – (LADIPOE feat. FIREBOY DML) DIRECTED BY DIRECTOR K
BEST COLLABORATION
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
- “BEGGIE BEGGIE” – AYRA STARR feat. CKAY
- “BLING” – BLAQBONEZ feat. AMAARAE & BNXN
- “EARLY MOMO” – VECTOR feat. GOODGIRL LA
- “ESSENCE” – WIZKID feat. TEMS
- “FEELING” – LADIPOE feat. BNXN
- “RUNNING (TO YOU)” – CHIKE feat. SIMI
BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.
- BELLA SHMURDA – “CASH APP” feat. ZLATAN & LINCOlN
- REXXIE & MOHBAD – “KPK”
- MOHBAD – “FEEL GOOD”
- NAIRA MARLEY – “KOLEYEWON”
- NEKTUNEZ & GOYA MENOR – “AMENO AMAPIANO (REMIX)”
- POCO LEE, PORTABLE & OLAMIDE – “ZAZOO ZEHH”
BEST AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best Afrobeats single in year under review (by single individual or group).
- “BLOODY SAMARITAN” – AYRA STARR
- “BOUNCE” – RUGER
- “HIGH” – ADEKUNLE GOLD feat. DAVIDO
- “MONALISA” – LOJAY & SARZ
- “OZUMBA MBADIWE” – REEKADO BANKS
- “PERU” – FIREBOY DML
HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE
A voting category to award the fan’s favourite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.
- AYRA STARR – “BLOODY SAMARITAN”
- FIREBOY – “PERU”
- JOEBOY – “SIP”
- LOJAY & SARZ – “MONALISA”
- NEKTUNEZ & GOYA MENOR – “AMENO AMAPIANO (REMIX)”
- OLAMIDE feat. OMAH LAY – “INFINITY”
- REMA – “SOUNDGASM”
- WIZKID feat. TEMS – “ESSENCE”
BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Western African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.
- AMAARAE (GHANA)
- ANGELIQUE KIDJO (BENIN)
- AYA NAKAMURA (MALI)
- GYAKIE (GHANA)
- KIDI (GHANA)
- NELSON FREITAS (CAPE VERDE)
BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Eastern African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.
- DIAMOND PLATINUMZ (TANZANIA)
- EDDY KENZO (UGANDA)
- HARMONIZE (TANZANIA)
- MEDDY (RWANDA)
- NIKITA KERING (KENYA)
- ZUCHU (TANZANIA)
BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Northern African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.
- EMEL MATHLOUTHI (TUNISIA)
- ELGRANDETOTO (MOROCCO)
- LATIFA (TUNISIA)
- MANAL (MOROCCO)
- MUHAMAD RAMADAN (EGYPT)
- SOOLKING (ALGERIA)
BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Southern African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.
- BLACK COFFEE (SOUTH AFRICA)
- DJ TARICO (MOZAMBIQUE)
- ELAINE (SOUTH AFRICA)
- FOCALISTIC (SOUTH AFRICA)
- JAH PRAYZAH (ZIMBABWE)
- SHA SHA (ZIMBABWE)
BEST AFROBEATS ALBUM
A category for the best Afrobeats album in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
- “19 AND DANGEROUS” – AYRA STARR
- “A BETTER TIME” – DAVIDO
- “BARNABAS” – KIZZ DANIEL
- “MADE IN LAGOS (DELUXE EDITION)” – WIZKID
- “KPOS LIFESTYLE” – AJEBO HUSTLERS
- “WONDALAND” – TENI
BEST REGGAE & DANCEHALL ALBUM
A voting category for the Best Reggae & Dancehall album (solo or group) in the year under review.
- “GRATITUDE” – TIMAYA
- “LOVE IS WAR” – PRETTYBOY D-O
- “RAINBOW RIDDIM” – SHANK
- “THREE” – PATORANKING
- “YAADMAN KINGSIZE” – YUNG L
BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
- “BEFORE WE FALL ASLEEP” – JOHNNY DRILLE
- “IF ORANGE WAS A PLACE” – TEMS
- “LOVE DEEP HIGH LIFE” – OMAWUMI
- “RISING” – FALANA
- “THE PRINCE I BECAME” – RIC HASSANI
- “WATER AND GARRI” – TIWA SAVAGE
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
- “9: ESAN” – BRYMO
- “INTERMISSION” – IBEJII
- “LEGACY +” – FEMI KUTI & MADE KUTI
- “LOVE AND HIGHLIFE” – THE CAVEMEN
- “P.S. THANK YOU FOR WAITING” – WAVY THE CREATOR
- “YABASI” – BASKETMOUTH
BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in the year under review.
- “CARPE DIEM” – OLAMIDE
- “CLONE WARS VOL. 5 – THE ALGORHYTHM” – SHOW DEM CAMP
- “GOLDEN” – A-Q
- “MAFIA CULTURE, VOL. 2.0” – IDOWEST
- “PROVIDENCE” – LADIPOE
- “SEX OVER LOVE” – BLAQBONEZ
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in the year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).
- “9: ESAN” – BRYMO
- “19 & DANGEROUS” – AYRA STARR
- “CARPE DIEM” – OLAMIDE
- “LEGACY +” – FEMI KUTI & MADE KUTI
- “MADE IN LAGOS (DELUXE EDITION)” – WIZKID
- “YABASI” – BASKETMOUTH
SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
- “CELEBRATE ME” – PATORANKING
- “DOINGS” – FLAVOUR feat. PHYNO
- “ESSENCE” – WIZKID feat. TEMS
- “HIGH” – ADEKUNLE GOLD feat. DAVIDO
- “MONALISA” – LOJAY & SARZ
- “PERU” – FIREBOY DML
BEST FEMALE ARTISTE
Overall most successful female artiste (with artistic quality and/or impact) in the year under review.
- SIMI
- TEMS
- TIWA SAVAGE
- TENI
- NINIOLA
BEST MALE ARTISTE
Overall most successful male artiste (with artistic quality and/or impact) in the year under review.
- ADEKUNLE GOLD
- BURNA BOY
- DAVIDO
- FLAVOUR
- OLAMIDE
- WIZKID
NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act (with an EP or Album) in the year under review.
- AYRA STARR
- BNXN
- LOJAY
- RUGER
- ZINOLEESKY
AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the International music scene within the year under review.
- BLACK COFFEE (NIGERIA)
- BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
- DAVIDO (NIGERIA)
- DIAMOND PLATINUMZ (TANZANIA)
- SOOLKING (ALGERIA)
- WIZKID (NIGERIA)
- AYA NAKAMURA (MALI)
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE RECOGNITION
Special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact on the Nigerian entertainment industry within a specific period and/or the year under review.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry within the year under review.
- BOSE OGULU
- SUNDAY ARE
- EFE OMOROGBE
HALL OF FAME
Special recognition to an individual of African Descent, for excellence and outstanding impact on the African entertainment industry, home and abroad.
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.
- A-Q – “THE LAST CYPHER”
- BLAQBONEZ – “THE LAST CYPHER”
- JESSE JAGZ – “VIPERS”
- LADIPOE – “PROVIDENCE”
- PAYPER CORLEONE – “IN DON WE TRUST”
- VECTOR – “CROWN OF CLAY”
HUMANITARIAN AWARD OF THE YEAR
A voting category to recognize and Award extraordinary individuals and/or groups who have positively impacted the lives of people, nature and society within the year in review.
- 2FACE IDIBIA
- RUGGEDMAN
- DAVIDO
- DON JAZZY
BEST CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Central African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.
- CALEMA (SAO TOME & PRINCIPE)
- BLANCHE BAILLY (CAMEROON)
- DADJU (DR CONGO)
- FALLY IPUPA (DR CONGO)
- INNOSS’B (DR CONGO)
- SORAIA RAMOS (CAPE VERDE)
