17th Headies Awards: Full List of Winners!

The 17th edition of the Headies Awards took place earlier today in Lagos, Nigeria. This marked a grand return to Nigeria after two consecutive editions were held outside the country.

The awards is one of the most prestigious music awards in Africa, recognizing excellence in the Nigerian and African music industries. It celebrates outstanding achievements in various genres, including Afrobeats, R&B, Hip-Hop, and more.

For this year’s nominations, only music materials—including singles, videos, live recordings, EPs, and albums—released and distributed on digital platforms and physical media (cassettes, CDs, and vinyl) between April 1, 2023, and July 31, 2024, were considered.

Here’s the complete list of all nominees, with the winners proudly highlighted in each category.

Key Categories and Nominees

Rookie of the Year

A voting category for emerging artistes who have had a successful year without an album release.

Zerry DL (Winner)
Taves
Kaestyles
Llona

Best Recording of the Year

A non-voting category recognizing the best recording with excellence in songwriting, production, and performance.

Tems – Burning (Winner)
Seyi Vibez – Different Pattern
Burna Boy – Higher
Ayra Starr & Giveon – Last Heartbreak Song
Sarz ft. Lojay – Billions

Songwriter of the Year

Celebrating the most exceptional songwriters of the year.

Simisola Kosoko – Stranger (Simi)
Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma – Vision (Qing Madi) (Winner)
Michael Ajuma Attah – Can’t Breathe (Llona)
Emoseh Khamofu – Family Meeting (Bloody Civilian)
Fuayefika Maxwell – Stages of Life (Wizard Chan)

Best R&B Single

Honoring the best R&B track of the year.

Qing Madi – Vision
Johnny Drille – For You
Simi – Stranger
Tems – Burning
Ayra Starr ft. Giveon – Last Heartbreak Song

Producer of the Year

Recognizing producers behind the most acclaimed songs or albums.

Sarz – Happiness
London – Ozeba (Winner)
Magicstick – Basquiat
Rema/Producer X/Cubeatz/Deatz/Kilmberboy – Hehehe
Dibs – Different Pattern

Best Collaboration

Highlighting the most exciting musical collaborations.

Emotions – Tiwa Savage ft. Asa
Blood on the Dance Floor – Odumodublvck, Bloody Civilian & Wale
Cast – Shallipopi ft. Odumodublvck
Egwu – Chike & Mohbad (Winner)
Ole – Qing Madi & BNXN
Twe Twe Remix – Kizz Daniel & Davido
IDK – Wizkid ft. Zlatan

Artiste of the Year

Who was the most impactful artiste this year?

Davido (Winner)
Ayra Starr
Asake
Rema
Tems
Burna Boy

Album of the Year

Recognizing the best albums of the year.

Born in the Wild – Tems
Heis – Rema (Winner)
The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
Stubborn – Victony
Work of Art – Asake

Song of the Year

Which song ruled the charts?

Showa – Kizz Daniel
Commas – Ayra Starr
Egwu – Chike & Mohbad
Lonely at the Top – Asake (Winner)
Ozeba – Rema
Big Baller – Flavour

Digital Artiste of the Year

Who had the biggest digital presence?

Ayra Starr
Rema
Shallipopi
Tems
Davido (Winner)
Kizz Daniel
Asake

Next Rated

This category is a voting category for the most promising act (with a single, EP or Album) in the year under review.

Qing Madi
Shallipopi
ODUMODUBLVCK (Winner)
Ayo Maff
Nasboi

Soundtrack of the Year

This is a non-voting category for a song written and composed originally for use in a motion picture or series.

Eledumare – Teledalese (Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre)
Lose to Gain – Kaline (Breath of Life)
Kill Boro – Native Film Works & Wizard Chain (Kill Boro)
Orisa – Beriola (Orisa)
Emotions – Tiwa Savage & Asa (Water and Garri)
Tribe Called Judah Soundtrack – TCJ & Abbey Wonder (A Tribe Called Judah) (Winner)

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.

Lojay – Billions (Winner)
Omah Lay – Moving
Anendlessocean – Gratitude
Johnny Drille – For You
Timi Dakolo – Ke na Ke So

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single or album.

Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song
Niniola – Level
Simi – Stranger
Liya – I’m Done (Winner)
Tomorrow – Yemi Alade

Music Video of the Year

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.

Charm – Rema (Rema x Perliks x Folarin Oludare)
Metaverse – Olamide (Jyde Ajala)
Like Ice Spice – Blaqbonez (Perliks & Emeka Shine Shine)
Ojapiano – KCEE (Mattmax)
Egwu – Chike & Mohbad (Director Pink) (Winner)
Showa – Kizz Daniel (TG Omori)
Na Money – Davido ft. Caveman, Angelique Kidjo (Dammy Twitch)

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.

Seyi Vibez – Different Patterns
Ayo Maff – Dealer (ft. Fireboy DML)
Shallipopi – Cast (ft. Odumodublvck)
Zhus JDO – Johnbull
Mohbad – Ask About Me (Winner)

Afrobeats Single of the Year

A voting category for the best Afrobeats single in the year under review (by single individual or group).

Big Big Things – Young Jonn ft. Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez
Twe Twe Remix – Kizz Daniel
Egwu ft. Mohbad-Chike
Remember – Asake
Ogechi Remix – Hyce, Boypee, and Brown Joel ft. Davido
Big Baller – Flavor (Winner)

Best East African Artiste of the Year

Juma Jux (Tanzania) — (Winner)
Bien (Kenya)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Azawi (Uganda)

Headies’ Viewers’ Choice

Egwu – Chike & Mohbad — (Winner)
Big Baller – Flavour
Big Big Things – Young Jonn (feat. Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez)
Ogechi Remix – Hyce, Boypee, and Brown Joel (feat. Davido)
Showa – Kizz Daniel
Different Pattern – Seyi Vibez
OZEBA – Rema
Love Me Jeje – Tems
Cast – Shallipopi (feat. Odumodublvck)
Dealer – Ayo Maff (feat. Fireboy DML)

Afrobeats Album of the Year

HEIS – Rema — (Winner)
Stubborn – Victony
Work of Art – Asake
The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
Jiggy Forever – Young Jonn

Best Rap Single

A voting category for a single (released on-air and streaming platforms) recording of a rap song.

Cast feat. Odumodublvck – Shallipopi (Winner)
Blood on the Dance Floor feat. Bloody Civilian & Wale – Odumodublvck
Hallelujah – LadiPoe, Rozzz & Morrelo
Canada – Magnito
Ije Nwoke – Jeriq

Best Inspirational Single

A voting award category for the best inspirational single in the year under review (by an individual or group).

Gratitude – Anendlessocean
Worthy of My Praise – Dunsin Oyekan ft. Lawrence Oyor
Good God 2 – Limoblaze ft. Naomi Raine
Particularly – Gaise Baba ft. Tope Alabi
You Do This One – Mercy Chinwo (Winner)

Best West African Artiste of the Year

A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Western African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.

Black Sherif (Ghana)
King Promise (Ghana)
Himra (Ivory Coast) (Winner)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Toofan (Togo)

Best East African Artiste of the Year

A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Eastern African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.

Bien (Kenya)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Juma Jux (Tanzania) (Winner)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Azawi (Uganda)

Best North African Artiste of the Year

A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Northern African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.

Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt)
ElGrande Toto (Morocco)
Soolking (Algeria) (Winner)
Balti (Tunisia)
Abu (Egypt)

Best South African Artiste of the Year

A voting award category for an individual African artiste or group (of Southern African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.

Titom (South Africa) (Winner)
Yuppe (South Africa)
Tyla (South Africa)
Kelly Kay (Malawi)
Plutonio (Mozambique)
Zee Nxumalo (South Africa)

Best Central African Artiste of the Year

A voting award category for an individual African artist or group (of Central African Descent) with the most outstanding achievement and impact across Africa in the year under review.

Innoss’B (DRC) (Winner)
Gaz Mawete (DRC)
Emma’a (Gabon)
Eboloko (Gabon)
Singuila (Central African Republic)
Kocee (Cameroon)

International Artiste of the Year

A voting award category for a non-African artist or group with the most outstanding achievement and impact on Afrobeats.

Wale – Blood on the Dance Floor (Odumodublvck)
Skepta – Tony Montana (ft. Portable)
Chris Brown – HMMM (ft. Davido)
Travis Scott – Active (Asake) (Winner)
Chloe Bailey – Vision Remix (Qing Madi)

Best Rap Album

A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artist or group in the year under review.

Sideh Kai – Illbliss
Eziokwu – Odumodublvck
Alaye Toh Se Gogo Vol. 1 – Reminisce
Family Time – Erigga (Winner)
Shiny Object Syndrome – Modenine

Best Performer (Live)

A non-voting category for the artist with the most outstanding live performance in front of an audience by singing, or playing a musical instrument. The live performance must have been recorded and officially released in video format – streaming, TV and physical media.