The organisers of The Headies have unveiled the nominees for the 18th edition of the prestigious African music awards, with the ceremony scheduled to take place on October 25 in Toronto, Canada.
The nomination list was announced in a statement released by the organisers in Lagos on Tuesday.
According to the organisers, the 2026 edition features 213 nominations spread across 35 categories, celebrating music artists, songwriters and projects released between August 1, 2024 and April 30, 2026.
Afrobeats rising star Fola emerged as the leading nominee with 10 nominations, following the release of his debut album, Catharsis.
His nominations include major categories such as Album of the Year, Next Rated, Songwriter of the Year and Best Male Artiste.
Omah Lay followed closely with eight nominations, while Mavo and Wizkid each earned seven nominations.
Other top nominees include Asake and Davido, who received six nominations each.
Female artistes with the highest number of nominations include Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage, with five nominations apiece.
Breakout artiste Kunmie also secured five nominations, including a Song of the Year nomination for his hit track “Arike”.
Adekunle Gold, Odumodublvck and Shoday also received five nominations each.
The collaboration “With You” by Davido and Omah Lay became the most nominated song of the year, appearing in six categories, including Recording of the Year, Music Video, Best Collaboration, Afrobeats Single, Viewers’ Choice and Song of the Year.
The Next Rated category features emerging acts including Fido, Fola, Llona, Mavo, Shoday and Zaylevelten.
The Rookie of the Year category includes Amma, Danpapa GTA, FirstKlaz, Kidd Carder, NO11, Priesst and OG Abbah.
In the highly anticipated Album of the Year category, nominees include Fola’s Catharsis, Omah Lay’s Clarity of Mind, Erigga’s G.O.A.T, Wizkid’s Morayo, Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness, Odumodublvck’s The Machine is Coming and Tiwa Savage’s This is Personal.
The organisers revealed that artistes from the alternative music scene also received recognition in major categories, while the regional awards have expanded to cover 16 African countries.
The 18th edition will also introduce categories honouring the International Artiste of the Year and the Best Canadian/African Diaspora Artiste.
Legendary Congolese musician Awilo Longomba is expected to receive the Headies Hall of Fame Award, while Cecil Hammond will be honoured with the Special Recognition Award for his contribution to African entertainment.
The 2026 Headies ceremony will be held under the theme “Africa to the World” in Toronto, Canada, on October 25.
