Film & TV

The Headies: All you need to know about Nigeria’s largest music award show

headies

The entertainment industry is all about awards and recognitions, and none are as big as the Headies in Nigeria. In fact, you could call it our very own Grammy, and you’d be right on the mark. However, how much do you know about this show? For example, which artist has the highest number of awards? How many categories are there? What does the image of the Headies plaque signify? I’ll bet you never even thought of that last one as really significant.

Well, fret not, for you have come to the right place. Keep reading for a detailed breakdown of Nigeria’s largest music awards show.

What is the Headies?

Originally called the Hip Hop World Awards, the Headies was established in 2006 by Nigeria’s Hip Hop World Magazine. It aimed to recognise phenomenal achievements and talents within the music industry. It is broadcast live on HipTV annually and features performances by both established and upcoming artists.

Ayo Animashaun, the awards’ founder, created the image of The Headies, and Matthias Aragbada drew it. Jide Adewoye crafted the first Headies plaque; it represents the image and the shout of a young, vibrant individual whose talent can challenge that of renowned local and international artistes combined but who has almost lost confidence in his abilities in the face of discouraging circumstances presented by the peculiar Nigerian environment.

The plaque was redone in the United Kingdom in 2008; it is a mixture of resin, copper, steel, marble, and 21-carat gold. So now you know what that weird, screaming head symbolizes.

History of the Headies

The first edition of the Headies was held at the Shell Hall of the Muson Center in Onikan, Lagos State, on March 10, 2006, and was hosted by Darey Art Alade. It was tagged The Revolution is here.

It was held at the same venue the next year, hosted by D’banj and Tana Adelana, with the tag The Best Gets Better.

The venue of the event in 2008 was moved to Planet One in Maryland, Lagos, and hosted by Basketmouth and actress Dakore Eguson, with the tag Change has to change. 2009 saw it at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria, tagged A Prize to Die For with Banky W and Kemi Adetiba as the hosts.

Between 2010 and 2012, the awards were held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos. The 2010 edition is the only one to have no host, and the announcement of nominations was streamed over the internet.

In 2011, The Hip Hop World Award was officially changed to The Headies Awards and was tagged Breaking from the Norm. Rita Dominic and Eldee hosted it, then Omawumi and MI Abaga in 2012 and themed Stepping into the Spotlight.

2013 brought with it a fresh location, the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, and it was hosted by Dr. Sid and Tiwa Savage and tagged Save the Best for Last. 2014 took it back to the Eko Hotel, where Basketmouth and Toke Makinwa hosted it, and tagged Feel the Passion. In 2015, it took place at the Landmark Events Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, was tagged Flip the Script, and was hosted by dance queen Kaffy and Bovi the comedian.

In 2016, it went back to its beloved Eko Hotel and Suites, hosted by Adesua Etomi and Falz, with the theme Think, Create, Recreate.

2017 saw no Headies Award ceremony, with the 12th annual Headies Award moved to 2018. It brought with it four new categories: Best Performer, Best Songwriter of the Year, Industry Brand Supporter, and the Viewers’ Choice Awards, and was hosted by Bovi and Seyi Shay at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The 2019 edition, themed The Power of a Dream, was held at Eko Hotels and Suites and hosted by rapper Reminisce and actress/media personality Nancy Isime.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the ceremony was unable to hold that year, but the 14th edition came back in 2021 at the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ibeju-Lekki. It was hosted by Bovi and Nancy Isime, making it the fourth time Bovi would host the event. Nancy Isime also became the first female to host the event for the second time.

The 15th edition, themed Join the Movement, is expected to hold on July 2, 2022, at the Cobbs Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. According to a statement released by the organizers, there would also be an introduction of new categories to appreciate those who have played a crucial role in exposing Afrobeat to the world. The new categories include Best Afrobeat Pop Single, Best Afrobeat Pop Album, Best African Collaboration, Music Exec. Of The Year, African Artist Of The Year, and International Artiste Of The Year. There will also be a grand showcase of African fashion and the Headies conference and music festival.

The Headies Awards Categories

With the incoming addition of new categories for the 15th edition, The Headies is now composed of 29 categories, with open voting deciding the majority of the awards’ categories. However, the awards for Best Vocal Performance (both male and female), Best Performer, Best Recording of the Year, and Best Rap Album are not open to public voting.

The following is a list of all categories:

  1. ARTISTE OF THE YEAR: A voting category for the most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. This artiste is judged to be the overall most successful for the entire year, either male or female.
  2. SONG OF THE YEAR: A voting category for the award of the most popular song in the year under review.
  3. ALBUM OF THE YEAR: A voting category awards the best album (solo or group) in the year under review. It must meet the judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition, and impact).
  4. BEST MUSIC VIDEO: A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed, and most electrifying video in the year under review. The video director receives the award.
  5. NEXT RATED: This category is voting for the most promising and auspicious act in the year under review.
  6. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, sans an album in the year under review.
  7. SONG-WRITER OF THE YEAR
  8. BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR: This is a non-voting category that awards the best recording by an artiste or group in the year under review. It must meet the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition
  9. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: An individual behind the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
  10. BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SINGLE: A category awarding the best reggae/dancehall single in the year under review, either by a single individual or group.
  11. 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.
  12. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE): A non-voting category to award a single female artiste with the most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
  13. BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG: A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music outside the conventional recent or past popular musical trends.
  14. LYRICIST ON THE ROLL: A non-voting category that awards a rap artiste whose single song or album contains the best performance and lyrical depth.
  15. ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
  16. BEST RAP SINGLE: A voting category for a single rap song recording. The track must be released on-air.
  17. BEST RAP ALBUM: A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in the year under review.
  18. BEST R&B SINGLE: A category for the best R&B single in the year under review, either by a single individual or group.
  19. BEST R&B/POP ALBUM: A category for the best R&B/pop album in the year under review, either by a single individual or group.
  20. BEST POP SINGLE: A category awarding the best pop single by an individual or group in the year under review.
  21. AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION: A non-Nigerian award category that recognises an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact, and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.
  22. BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE: A voting category for an artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. The artiste’s songs should contain vernacular or lingua, either coined or popular on the streets.
  23. BEST COLLABO: A voting category for the best R&B, pop, or hip-hop collaborative track. This includes cameos.
  24. HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION: A voting category for the best new artiste whose debut album is adjudged to be exceptional in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.
  25. 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.
  26. INDUSTRY BRAND SUPPORTER: An appreciative award to brands that have made the most impact in the music industry in the years under review.
  27. BEST PERFORMER: A non-voting category for the artistes whose stagecraft, showmanship, and performance routines are exceptionally conceptualized and executed in the year under review. Live performances are also considered.
  28. SPECIAL RECOGNITION
  29. HALL OF FAME

The Headies highest winners

Over the years, a few individuals have managed to either steal the spotlight in a single ceremony or accumulate an enviable amount of awards through consistent output and sheer class.

Most awards winners

Wizkid holds the record for the most headies awards wins with 11 awards. He has won Artiste of the Year three times, Best R&B/pop Awards and Viewer’s Choice Awards twice, and one Next Rated, Hip Hop World Revelation, Best Collabo, and Song of the Year Awards.

He is followed by Mode 9 & 2face Idibia with 9 & 8 awards, respectively. Wande Coal has 7 along with Olamide, P-square, and MI Abaga have 6, and Davido, Timi Dakolo, and 9ice, all with 5 each, complete the top 10.

Song of the Year

Along with D’banj, Davido has won more “Song of the Year” Awards than any other artiste. Davido and D’banj are the only acts to have won the “Song of the Year” award more than once. Psquare, Olu Maintain, 9ice, Bracket, Ice Prince, Wizkid, Kcee, Phyno, DJ Neptune, and Burna Boy have each won the award once.

Album of the Year

Olamide has won the “Album of the Year” Awards more times than anyone else, with three back-to-back awards for “YBNL“, “Baddest Guy Ever Liveth” and “Street OT” in 2013, 2014, and 2015 respectively. P-Square comes second with two awards, while 2face, Asa, 9ice, Wande Coal, Simi, Paul Play, Kizz Daniel, Fireboy DML, and Falz have all won the award once.

Artiste of the Year

Wizkid has won the award three times, again more than anyone else. He won in 2012, 2016, and 2020 (held in 2021). Davido comes second with two awards coming in 2014 and 2018. 2face, Olamide, Burna Boy, 9ice, Wande Coal, D’banj, Paul Play, Iyanya, and Psquare have won the award once.

Best Vocal Performance

Praiz and Timi Dakolo have each won this award twice, more than anyone else. For the female category, Omawunmi holds the record with two wins.

Lyricist on the Roll

This award celebrates the rapper with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album in the year under review. Mode 9 dominates this category with seven wins. Vector and Illbliss have each won the award twice, while Jesse Jagz, M.I Abaga, and AQ have one win each.

Issues With the Headies

Everything has a dark side, and the Headies, even the biggest music award ceremony in Nigeria, are not without controversies. Some are even downright funny. Check them out below:

Mayorkun Winning Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year over Naira Marley in 2019

No one will deny Mayorkun’s Geng ruled the streets like a Nigerian Genghis Khan, but with the pulsating string of hits that Naira Marley dropped that year, he was surely expected to win. The fact that he wasn’t even nominated still stands as a surprise, which makes one wonder if the Headies people know what they’re sometimes doing.

Even till now, you can’t hear Mafo without your legs coming to life on their own.

Karma smacks Burna Boy off stage

In 2013, actress Tonto Dike a.k.a. Poko decided to try her luck in music and released some auto-tune laden hits that had people advising her to just stick with acting. Burna boy was one of the critics, although while his tweets about wack artistes who go about releasing noisy wackiness and how death is the least such people deserve weren’t directly aimed at her, it wasn’t that hard to connect the dots.

Jump forward a few nights later. While performing his hit track Like to Party, Burna Boy fell off the stage. Most likely, he was blinded by his own shades, so he couldn’t spot karma in the stands teeing up the shot.

Sean Tizzle winning Next-Rated in 2013

With a budding slew of artistes like Burna Boy, Phyno, Sheyi Shay, and Dammy Krane, Sean Tizzle winning the award that year was met with backlash and controversy. Burna Boy even stormed out of the award venue in protest and allegedly told photographers not to take photos of him.

Fast-forward to nine years later, and Burna is now a household name, with his 2019 album African Giant even earning a Grammy nomination. A Grammy!!! Whereas Sean Tizzle is… well, he’s there.

Olamide and Don Jazzy go to war

Probably the biggest and most controversial moment in the Headies Awards history. In 2015, Reekado Banks of Mavin Records and Lil Kesh of YBNL were both nominated for the Next-Rated Award, and Reekado Banks ended up winning it. This turned out to be an e choke moment for YBNL boss Olamide, who felt his disciple should have won it.

Unwilling to drink water and swallow, Olamide climbed the stage with his whole YBNL team when his artist Adekunle Gold won the award for Best Alternative act for his song Shade. While expressing his appreciation, Lil Kesh prostrated before Olamide, who then collected the mic, and said; “Lil Kesh is our own Next Rated artist. Fk that sh*t! The streets ti take over. Every fking single was a hit back to back. From Lyrically, to Shoki to Efejoku. Ko ni dafun Iya anybody.” (please hire a Yoruba person to translate).

He then did a mic drop and poured his drink in the face of the gods by throwing away his cup with its content spewing on stage as he and his crew walked away.

Shots fired!

Don Jazzy won The Special Recognition Award and, in his vote of thanks, reacted to Olamide’s diatribe by saying, “I came out here to support my children. Reekado Banks was performing at Ali Baba’s show as they were trying to present the award. I have already told my children that I will buy cars for all of them.

Then he sprayed sniper everywhere by adding, “Egbon Olamide, if you want the car, come and collect it.” This was a reference to the fact that the 2015 Headies Next Rated Artiste Award winner went home with a Hyundai SUV car. If this was not the modern equivalent to the medieval act of pulling off your gauntlets and slapping another knight across the face with it, then nothing else is.

Battle. Line. Drawn.

Quite predictably, Olamide went nuts and came for Don Jazzy on Twitter. He declared open war by ripping into him on how Don treats artistes under his label, making references to how he and D’banj parted ways. In one of these tweets, he left a warning that brings to mind a deja vu of what started the bloody feud between late Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG by telling Don Jazzy not to come to the Mainland.

However, they soon settled their feud, and nobody got slapped to boot, so all glory be to God!

Headies Goes to the Abroad

Erm, I know I’m supposed to remain objective, and all, but even you have to agree that that doesn’t make much sense. The Headies is a Nigerian award to be given to Nigerian artistes for Nigerian songs. What then is it going to look for in Atlanta, Georgia?

As expected, it has generated a lot of mixed reactions, with some considering it a slap to Nigeria’s face. It almost seems like the organisers are seeking validation, which is quite belittling because they underrate Nigeria and Africa a lot. You don’t see Nickelodeon coming to host the Kid’s Choice Awards at Sheraton.

However, showcasing our culture and African art internationally would give Nigeria broader recognition and sponsorship globally because it seems Africans don’t appreciate their arts as much except when it is internationally recognised. Take a look at the movie Black Panther, for example; Africans have always been aware of those cultural aesthetics, but we never appreciated them as much as we squeed and pointed when they appeared in a Marvel movie. So that’s another angle too.

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A couple of unexpected turns in life found Jimmy with a metaphorical pen in hand, churning out content and living in his head so much that he knighted himself the Pen Dragon. He is also an avid reader, gamer, drummer, full-blown metalhead, and all-round fun gi
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