The Organizer and Executive Producer of the Headies Music Awards, Ayo Animashaun, published the much-anticipated list of nominees on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. The forthcoming award ceremony will be held in Atlanta, the United States of America, which happens to be the first time the award will be hosted outside Africa since the year 2006.

This year, a new category celebrating music executives will also be included in the Headies. The award categories for this year include Headies Hall of Fame, Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year, Viewers’ Choice Album of the Year, African Artiste Recognition, Special Recognition Award, Music Executive of the Year, Song of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Next Rated Award.

Other categories are Artiste of the Year, Recording of the Year, Best Street Hop Artiste, Best Alternative Song, Lyricist on the Roll, Producer of the Year, Best Rap Album, Best R&B Album, Best Alternative Album, Best Afrobeat/Pop Single, Best Afrobeat/Pop Album, Songwriter of the Year, Best Vocal Performance (Male), Best Vocal Performance (Female), Best Music Video, and Best R&B Single.

The rest are Best Collaboration, Best Rap Single, Best African Collaboration, Best International Collaboration, African Artiste of the Year, and International Artiste.

The list also had some first-timers like Portable, Magixx, and other fast-rising artists. However, Adekunle Gold’s “Sinner”, Wizkid’s “Essence” and Ayra Starr’s “Bloody Samaritan” got multiple nominations.

Below is the full list of nominees:

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 (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)

• Ayra Starr – “Toxic”
• Liya – “Alari”
• Niniola – “6th Heaven”
• Simi – “Running (To You)”
• Tems – “Essence”
• Waje – “Last Time”

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

• Brymo – “Meji Meji”
• Johnny Drille – “Loving Is Harder”
• Oxlade – “Ojuju”
• Ric Hassani – “When I’m Gone”
• 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 LA
• “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 Viewers Choice

• Ayra Starr – “Bloody Samaritan”
• Fireboy – “Peru” ( @Fireboydml )
• Joeboy – “Sip”
• Lojay & Sarz – “Monalisa”
• Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano (Remix)”
• Olamide Feat. Omah Lay – “Infinity”
• Rema – “Soundgasm”
• Wizkid Feat. Tems – “Essence”

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 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

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”

Next Rated Artist

• Ayra Starr
• Bnxn
• Lojay
• Ruger
• Zinoleesky

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)

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)
• Essy Kenzo (Uganda)
• Harmonize (Tanzania)
• Maddy (Rwanda)
• Nikita Kering (Kenya)
• Zuchu (Tanzania)
• Best North African Artiste Of the Year
• Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia)
• Elgrandetoto (Morocco)
• Latifah (Tunisia)
• Manual (Morocco)
• Muhammad 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 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)

Humanitarian Award Of The Year

• 2face Idibia
• Ruggedman
• Davido
• Don Jazzy

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