Wizkid, Adekunle Gold, Ayra Star, Portable Top Headies 2022 Nomination List

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

The organisers of the Headies Awards on Tuesday announced the full list of nominees for the 2022 edition of the prestigious Nigerian music award with Afrobeats superstars —Wizkid, Davido and Ayra Star— bagging multiple nominations.

In the list announced on the official Instagram account of the organisers, Wizkid was nominated in 9 categories including Artiste Of The Year, African Artiste Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Male, Best Collaboration, Best Recording, Best R&B Single, Best Afrobeats Album and Album Of The Year.

This year’s nominations are diverse with some new artistes like Portable —earning a nomination in the most coveted Best Street Hop— and Hand Magixx making the list for the first time.

In the most coveted Next Rated Award, the nominees include Ayra Starr, Bnxn, Lojay, Ruger and Zinoleesky. Organisers of the awards have also announced that a 2022 Bentley would be the star prize for the winner of the Next Rated category.

The 15th edition of the Headies will hold September 4, 2022, at the COBB Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, USA, making it the first time it will hold outside Nigeria since its inception in 2006.

See the full nominee list below:

Rookie Of The Year

Av

Fave

Magixx

Portable

Ugoccie

Best Recording Of The Year

Celebrate Me – Patoranking

Essence – Wizkid Ft Tems

Joy – Falana

Loving Is Harder – Johnny Drille

Meji Meji – Brymo

Somebody’s Son – Tiwa Savage Ft Brandy

Producer Of The Year

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)

Best R&B single

“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

Adekunle Gold – “Sinner”

Ajebo Hustlers – “Loyalty”

Brymo – “Meji Meji”

Falana – “Joy”

Fireboy Dml – “Peru”

Omah Lay – “Understand”

Best Rap Single

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

“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)

1. Ayra Starr – “Toxic”

2. Liya – “Alari”

3. Niniola – “6th Heaven”

4. Simi – “Running (To You)”

5. Tems – “Essence”

6. Waje – “Last Time”

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

1. Brymo – “Meji Meji”

2. Johnny Drille – “Loving Is Harder”

3. Oxlade – “Ojuju”

4. Ric Hassani – “When I’m Gone”

5. Tay Iwar – “Peaking”

Best Music Video

“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

“Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr Feat. Ckay

“Bling” – Blaqbonez Feat. Amaarae & Bnxn

“Early Momo” – Vector Feat. Goodgirl

“Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems

“Feeling” – Ladipoe Feat. Bnxn

“Running (To You)” – Chike Feat. Simi

Best Street-Hop Artiste

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

“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

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

Amaarae (Ghana)

Angelique Kidjo (Benin)

Aya Nakamura (Mali)

Gyakie (Ghana)

Kidi (Ghana)

Nelson Freitas (Cape Verde)

Best East African Artiste Of The Year

Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)

Eddy Kenzo (Uganda)

Harmonize (Tanzania)

Meddy (Rwanda)

Nikita Kering (Kenya)

Zuchu (Tanzania)

Best North African Artiste Of The Year

Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia)

Elgrandetoto (Morocco)

Latifa (Tunisia)

Manal (Morocco)

Muhamad Ramadan (Egypt)

Soolking (Algeria)

Best Southern African Artiste Of The Year

Black Coffee (South Africa)

Dj Tarico (Mozambique)

Elaine (South Africa)

Focalistic (South Africa)

Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe)

Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)

Best Afrobeats Album

“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

“Gratitude” – Timaya

“Love Is War” – Prettyboy D-O

“Rainbow Riddim” – Shank

“Three” – Patoranking

“Yaadman Kingsize” – Yung L

Best R&B Album

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

Simi

Tems

Tiwa Savage

Teni

Niniola

Best Male Artiste

Adekunle Gold

Burna Boy

Davido

Flavour

Olamide

Wizkid

Next Rated

Ayra Starr

Bnxn

Lojay

Ruger

Zinoleesky

African Artiste Of The Year

Black Coffee (Nigeria)

Burna Boy (Nigeria)

Davido (Nigeria)

Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)

Soolking (Algeria)

Wizkid (Nigeria)

Aya Nakamura (Mali )

Lyricist On The Roll

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

2face Idibia

Ruggedman

Davido

Don Jazzy

East Central African Artiste Of The Year

Calema (Sao Tome & Principe)

Blanche Bailly (Cameroon)

Dadju (Dr Congo)

Fally Ipupa (Dr Congo)

Innoss’b (Dr Congo)

Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)