On September 24, 2019, Nigeria’s biggest and most prestigious music award show, The Headies, opened its doors to receive entries for its 13th music award with this year’s edition themed ‘The Power of A Dream’.
The year in review was announced as January 2018 and June 2019. The award show is scheduled to hold October 19th, 2019. Running for over a decade, the 13th Headies award will feature 29 unique categories in recognition of Africa’s finest artiste.
The last edition saw Nigeria’s sensational artiste, Olamide, with the highest number of nominations (10). He was closely followed by Tuface (7), Wizkid (6), Davido (4), and Clarence Peters (4).
THE 13TH HEADIES NOMINEES LIST
Year In Review: January 2018 – June 2019
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 artiste or group in the year under review.
Adekunle Gold – Ire
Heal D World – Patoranking
Olanrewaju – Brymo
UyoMeyo – Teni
Ye – Burna Boy
BEST POP SINGLE
A category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).
‘Ye’ – Burna Boy
‘Wetin We Gain’ – Victor AD
‘Fake Love’ –Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
‘Case’ – Teni
‘Jealous’ –Fireboy DML
‘Baby’ – Joeboy
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
Phantom – ‘Ye’ by Burna Boy
Ozedikus – ‘Dumebi’ by Rema
Spellz – ‘Askamaya’ by Teni
Killertunes – ‘Fake Love’ by Starboy ft Duncan Mighty and Wizkid
Kel-P Vibes – ‘Killing Dem’ by Burna Boy ft Zlatan
BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.
‘Moral Instruction’ – Falz
‘Crown’ – AQ and Loose Kaynon
‘A Study On Self Worth: YxngDxnzl’ – M.I Abaga
‘Clone Wars, Vol. IV (These Buhari Times)’ – Show Dem Camp
BEST R&B/POP ALBUM
A category for the best r&b/pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
‘rare.’ – Odunsi(The Engine)
‘Outside’ – Burna Boy
‘No Bad Songz’ – Kizz Daniel
‘Mayor of Lagos’ – Mayorkun
‘About 30’ – Adekunle Gold
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.
‘Dangote’(BurnaBoy) – Clarence Peters
‘Available’(Patoranking) – Clarence Peters
‘Ire’(Adekunle Gold) – Aje Films
‘Talk’ (Falz) – Prodigeezy
‘Jaiye’(Ladipoe) – 88 Factor
BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
‘Tipsy’ – Odunsi ft. RAYE
‘Serenade’ – Funbi
‘UyoMeyo’ – Teni
‘Wishes and Butterflies’ – Wurld
‘Gimme Love’ – Seyi Shay ft. Runtown
BEST COLLABO
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
‘Like’ – Reekado Banks Ft. Tiwa Savage, Fiokee
‘One Ticket’ Kiss Daniel ft. Davido
‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
‘Killin’ Dem – Burna Boy Ft. Zlatan
‘Amaka’ – 2baba Ft. Peruzzi
BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
‘Talk’ – Falz
‘We Don’t Do That Over Here’ – Hotyce
‘40ft Container’ – Illbliss ft. Olamide
‘Sacrifice’ – Payper Corleone Ft. Alpha Ojini
‘Gang Gang’ – AQ and Loose Kaynon
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.
Tay Iwar – ‘Utero’
Johnny Drille – ‘Finding Efe’
Nonso Bassey – ‘411’
Funbi – ‘Serenade’
Wurld – ‘Wishes & Butterfly’
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
GoodGirl LA – ‘Bless me’
Waje – ‘Udue’
Teni – ‘UyoMeyo’
Tems – ‘Mr Rebel’
Falana – ‘Repeat’
NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.
Rema
Joeboy
Fireboy DML
Victor AD
Lyta
Zlatan
HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION
A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.
Odunsi
Mayorkun
Wurld
Humblesmith
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.
YCEE – ‘Balance’
Boogey – ‘Implode’
Paybac – ‘Implode’
Ghost–‘Crown’
Tec–‘Crown’
AQ –‘Crown’
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.
Erigga – ‘Motivation’
ChinkoEkun – ‘Able God’
Zlatan – ‘Leg Work’
Barry Jhay –‘Aiye’
Lyta–‘Time’
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.
‘Cash’ – Lady Donli
‘Mr Rebel’ – Tems
‘Finding Efe’– Johnny Drille
‘Heya’–Brymo
‘Ire’ – Adekunle Gold
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).
‘About 30’ – Adekunle Gold
‘Outside’ – Burna Boy
‘Moral Instruction’–Falz
‘No Bad Songz’ – Kizz Daniel
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.
Burna Boy
Wizkid
Davido
Tiwa Savage
Falz
SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
‘Ye’ – Burna Boy
‘Dumebi’ – Rema
‘Wetin We Gain’ – Victor AD
‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
‘Case’ – Teni
‘Leg work’- Zlatan
‘Baby’ – Joeboy
‘Jealous’ – Fireboy DML
AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION
A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.
Master KG – Skeleton Moves(SOUTH AFRICA)
Afro B – Drogba (Joanna)(IVORY COAST)
Sauti Sol – Melanin (KENYA)
King Promise – CCTV (GHANA)
DJ Maphoriza – iWalk Ye Phara (SOUTH AFRICA)
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.
MrEazi
Burna Boy
Teni
Fireboy DML
Rema
Joe Boy
Wizkid
Davido
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 with consideration of live performances.
Falz
Tiwa Savage
Brymo
Yemi Alade
Adekunle Gold
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.
Crayon
Buju
Barry Jhay
Oxlade
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Paul Okoye (Upfront & Personal)
