With 10 Nominations, Burna Boy Leads 2023 Headies

By Vanessa Obioha

At the 2022 Headies, Burna Boy picked up the awards for Best Male Artist and African Artist of the Year. At the 2023 Headies, he is again nominated in the same categories, including Digital Artist of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Album of Year, and Song of the Year, and leads the list with a total of 10 nominations.

Burna Boy dominates in a pack that includes Asake with nine nominations, Rema with five nods and Simi with six nominations.

The nomination list released on Wednesday by the Headies recognised only music materials including singles, videos, EPs and albums released and distributed on digital streaming platforms within the year in review (January 2022 and March 2023) were considered for nomination.

“Over the past year, we witnessed an incredible display of talent and creativity from our beloved artists, making the task of selecting nominees even more challenging. We are glad to say that we met the challenge,” the organisers said in a statement.

“Hence, the list of nominees for the 16th Headies showcases both established acts that continue to set new standards and emerging talents now making their mark in the music industry.”

Last year, the Headies held in the U.S. for the first time since inception. The organisers are yet to indicate if they will toe that path again this year.

The Headies would also recognise the late Sound Sultan as its Special Recognition recipient, while Youssou N’dour will be inducted into the awards Hall of Fame, and Sean ‘Love’ Combs will be honoured as the Best International Artist.

Below is the full nomination list:

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
BAYANNI
KHAID
GUCHI
BLOODY CIVILIAN
ODUMODUBLVCK
ELTEE SKHILLZ

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR:
“ALONE” – BURNA BOY
“SOWETO” – VICTONY & TEMPOE
“I’M A MESS” – OMAH LAY
“KU LO SA” – OXLADE
“STAND STRONG” – DAVIDO FT. SUNDAY SERVICE CHOIR
“NO WOMAN, NO CRY” – TEMS

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR:
MAGICSTICKS – “SUNGBA REMIX” (ASAKE)
P.PRIME, TMXO & PHEELZ – “ELECTRICITY” (PHEELZ FT DAVIDO)
ANDRE VIBEZ & LONDON – “CALM DOWN” (REMA)
TEMPOE – “SOWETO” (VICTONY & TEMPOE)
KEL-P – “KPE PASO” (WANDE COAL & OLAMIDE)
REXXIE – “ABRACADABRA” (REXXIE, NAIRA MARLEY, SKIIBII & WIZKID)

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
SIMI KOSOKO, GODSFAVOUR CHIDOZIE, KOSOKO ADEKUNLE, MARCEL AKUNWATA – “LOYAL” (SIMI)
STANLEY DIDIA, ADEBAJO ADEBANJO – “I’M A MESS” (OMAH LAY)
TEMS, LUDWIG GORANSSON, ROBYN RIHANNA FENTY, RYAN COOGLER – “LIFT ME UP” (RIHANNA)
DAMINI EBUNOLUWA OGULU, AUSTIN JNR IORNONGU IWAR, PEACE OREDOPE, LUDWIG GORANSSON – “ALONE” (BURNA BOY)
DANIEL BENSON “IN MY MIND” (BNXN)
FUAYEFIKA MAXWELL – EARTH SONG (WIZARD CHAN)

BEST R&B SINGLE:
“FOR MY HAND” – BURNA BOY FT. ED SHEERAN
“MMADU” – CKAY
“JUST 4 U” – DAMI ONIRU
“RED WINE” – PREYE
“HARD TO FIND” – CHIKE – FT. FLAVOUR
“LOYAL” – SIMI FT. FAVE

BEST RAP SINGLE:
“HUSTLE” – REMINISCE
“BIG ENERGY” – LADIPOE
“BACK IN UNI” – BLAQBONEZ
“BANDO DIARIES” – PSYCHOYP
“DECLAN RICE” – ODUMODUBLVCK
“MY BRO” – JERIQ FT. PHYNO

BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG:
“EARTH SONG” – WIZARD CHAN
“FINAL CHAMPION” – CRUEL SANTINO
“THE TRAVELLER” – BASKETMOUTH FT THE CAVEMEN
“IN A LOOP” – BOJ FT MOLIY & MELLISSA
“GAME CHANGER” (DIKE) – FLAVOUR
“TINKO TINKO” – OBONGJAYAR

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE):
NINIOLA – “MEMORIES”
SIMI – “LOYAL”
WAJE – “IN BETWEEN“
LIYA – “ADUA REMIX”
PREYE – “RED WINE”
DAMI ONIRU – “JUST 4 U”

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE):
OXLADE – “KU LO SA”
RIC HASSANI – “MY ONLY BABY”
MAGIXX – “LOVE DON’T COST A DIME”
CHIKE – “SPELL REMIX”
PRAIZ – “RECKLESS”
WANDE COAL – “KPE PASO”

BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
BLAQBONEZ – “BACK IN UNI” (BLAQBONEZ & PERLIKS)
TG OMORI – “PBUY” (ASAKE)
DIRECTOR PINK– “SPELL REMIX” (CHIKE & OXLADE)
TG OMORI – “BANDANA” (FIREBOY & ASAKE)
DIRECTOR K – “COMMON PERSON” (BURNA BOY)
DIRECTOR K – “CALM DOWN” (REMA)

BEST COLLABORATION:
ASAKE FT. BURNA BOY – “SUNGBA REMIX”
BNXN FT KIZZ DANIEL & SEYI VIBEZ – “GWAGWALADA”
PHEELZ FT BNXN – “FINESSE”
SPYRO FT. TIWA SAVAGE – “WHO’S YOUR GUY REMIX”
PHEELZ FT DAVIDO – “ELECTRICITY”
WANDE COAL FT. OLAMIDE – “KPE PASO”

BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE:
REXXIE FT. NAIRA MARLEY & SKIIBII – “ABRACADABRA”
SEYI VIBEZ – “CHANCE (NA HAM)”
ASAKE – “JOHA”
ZLATAN FT. YOUNG JONN – “ASTALAVISTA”
POCO LEE & HOTKID – “OTILO”
MOHBAD – “PEACE”

AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR:
“LAST LAST” – BURNA BOY
“RUSH” – AYRA STARR
“BUGA” – KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO
“FINESSE” – PHEELZ FT BNXN
“WHO’S YOUR GUY?” – SPYRO
“ASIWAJU” – RUGER

HEADIES’ VIEWERS’ CHOICE:
RUGER – “ASIWAJU”
VICTONY & TEMPOE – “SOWETO”
FIREBOY DML & ASAKE – “BANDANA”
AYRA STAR – “RUSH”
ASAKE – “TERMINATOR”
MAVINS – “OVERLOADING (OVERDOSE)”
CRAYON – “IJO (LABA LABA)”
OXLADE – “KU LO SA”
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – “BUGA”
PHEELZ & DAVIDO – “ELECTRICITY”

BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
GYAKIE (GHANA)
BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
THE THERAPIST (LIBERIA)
CAMIDOH (GHANA)

BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
ZUCHU
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ
RAYVANNY
EDDY KENZO
HEWAN GEBREWORLD

BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
MARWA LOUD – MOROCCO
WEGZ – EGYPT
EL GRANDE TOTO – MOROCCO
SOOLKING – ALGERIA

BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
AKA (SOUTH AFRICA)
NASTY C – SOUTH AFRICA
COSTA TITCH – SOUTH AFRICA
UNCLE WAFFLES – SOUTH AFRICA
FOCALISTIC – SOUTH AFRICA
DJ TARICO – MOZAMBIQUE

BEST CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
FALLY IPUPA – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
GAZ MAWETE – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
MATIAS DAMASIO – ANGOLA
EMMA’A – GABON
LIBIANCA – CAMEROON

BEST R&B ALBUM:
HOME – JOHNNY DRILLE
THE BROTHER’S KEEPER – CHIKE
RECKLESS – PRAIZ
WAJE 2.0 – WAJE
MATTER OF TIME – DAMI ONIRU
TO BE HONEST (TBH) – SIMI

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM:
HOROSCOPES – BASKETMOUTH
GBAGADA EXPRESS – BOJ
SOME NIGHTS I DREAM OF DOORS – OBONGJAYAR
SUBARU BOYS: FINAL HEAVEN – CRUEL SANTINO
HEART OF THE HEAVENLY UNDENIABLE – SOMADINA
NATIVE WORLD – NATIVE SOUND SYSTEM

BEST RAP ALBUM:
FLY TALK ONLY – PAYPER CORLEONE
PALMWINE MUSIC VOL 3 – SHOW DEM CAMP
YOUNG PREACHER – BLAQBONEZ
YPSZN3 – PSYCHOYP
TESLIM: THE ENERGY STILL LIVES IN ME – VECTOR
BILLION DOLLAR DREAM – JERIQ

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
LOVE, DAMINI – BURNA BOY
MR MONEY WITH THE VIBE – ASAKE
RAVE AND ROSES – REMA
BOY ALONE – OMAH LAY
OUTLAW – VICTONY
TIMELESS – DAVIDO

SONG OF THE YEAR:
“CALM DOWN” – REMA
“LAST LAST” – BURNA BOY
“KU LO SA” – OXLADE
“BUGA” – KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO
“FINESSE” – PHEELZ FT. BNXN
“SUNGBA REMIX” – ASAKE FT. BURNA BOY

BEST FEMALE ARTISTE:
TEMS
SIMI
AYRA STARR
TIWA SAVAGE

BEST MALE ARTISTE:
ASAKE
REMA
KIZZ DANIEL
RUGER
OMAH LAY
BURNA BOY

NEXT RATED:
YOUNG JONN
SEYI VIBEZ
ASAKE
VICTONY
SPYRO

AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
REMA (NIGERIA)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
MARWA LOUD (MOROCCO)
BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL:
LADIPOE – “CLOWNS”
VECTOR – “CLOWNS”
PAYPER CORLEONE – “FLY TALK ONLY”
ALPHA OJINI – “VIGILANTE BOP”
A-Q – “FAMILY FIRST”
TEC (SDC) – “LIVE LIFE”

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE RECOGNITION:
SEAN ‘LOVE’ COMBS

HALL OF FAME
YOUSSOU N’DOUR

BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE
“STAND STRONG” – DAVIDO FT SUNDAY SERVICE CHOIR
“JIREH (MY PROVIDER)” – LIMOBLAZE, LECRAE & HAPPI MUSIC
“THIS YEAR” – VICTOR THOMPSON & EHIS ‘D’ GREATEST
“EZE EBUBE” – NEON ADEJO
“TOBECHUKWU” – NATHANIEL BASSEY AND MERCY CHINWO
“I GET BACKING” – VICTORIA ORENZE

DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
BURNA BOY
AYRA STARR
REMA
OMAH LAY
KIZZ DANIEL
ASAKE

SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SOUND SULTAN

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
DRAKE
FUTURE
SELENA GOMEZ
DON TOLIVER
ED SHEERAN