Entertainment

Full List Of 2026 Headies Awards Nominees

Published

1 minute ago

August 25, 2026

Organisers of the Headies Awards have released the 2026 nomination list, with Nigerian music stars, Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy securing multiple nominations for the 18th edition of the Awards.

Daily Voice reports that the 18th Headies Awards ceremony will be held in Canada, with nominees competing across the various voting and non-voting categories.

Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy feature in several major categories, including Afrobeats Album of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Collaboration and Producer of the Year-related nominations.

Also, Davido and Omah Lay’s ‘With You’ is nominated for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Recording of the Year, Best Headies Collaboration and Viewers’ Choice.

Wizkid is nominated for Song of the Year and Afrobeats Single of the Year alongside Asake for MMS and Jogodo, respectively. His album Morayo is also nominated for Afrobeats Album of the Year, while he is in contention for Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste and Viewers’ Choice.

Burna Boy’s Bundle by Bundle is nominated for Afrobeats Single of the Year, while his album No Sign of Weakness is in contention for Afrobeats Album of the Year. He is also nominated for Best Male Artiste, with Bundle by Bundle featuring in the Music Video of the Year category.

See the full list below.

Song of the Year

Arike — Kunmie
Hey Jago — Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago
Hot Body — Ayra Starr
Joy Is Coming — Fido
MMS — Asake & Wizkid
With You — Davido & Omah Lay

Afrobeats Single of the Year
Fun — Rema
Jogodo — Asake & Wizkid
Laho — Shallipopi
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
You — Fola
Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy

Best Performer (Live)
Adekunle Gold — Live at the National Theatre, Lagos
Asake — Red Bull Symphonic
Ayra Starr — Global Citizen Festival 2025
Johnny Drille — Johnny’s Room Live 6
Ruger — Live at Indigo at The O2, London (2025)

Best Alternative Album
Afrika Magik — SDC
Detox — Sewa
Duplicity — BOJ
Healers Chapel — Wizard Chan
Olorin Pack — Scottyolorin
Then 1t Got Crazy — Zaylevelten

Digital Artiste of the Year
Asake
Ayra Starr
BNXN
Chella
Fola
Mavo
Seyi Vibez
Wizkid

Best R&B Album
Before We Became Strangers — Kunmie
Catharsis — Fola
I Am the Blueprint — Qing Madi
Love Is a Kingdom — Tems
Reflection Station — Tay Iwar
This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage

Best Recording of the Year
Arike — Kunmie
How Do You? — Amaeya
Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
Coping Mechanism — Omah Lay & Elmah
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
You — Fola

Music Video of the Year
Director Pink — 10 Kilo — Davido
Dammy Twitch — With You — Davido
TG Omori — Afroculture — Flavour ft Baaba Maal
Jyde Ajala — Wizard Chan
DK — Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy

Best Female Artiste
Ayra Starr
Qing Madi
Sewa
Tems
Teni
Tiwa Savage

Next Rated
Fido
Fola
Llona
Mavo
Shoday

Afrobeats Album of the Year
5ive — Davido
Captain — BNXN
Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
Fuji — Adekunle Gold
Morayo — Wizkid
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy

Best Male Artiste
Adekunle Gold
Asake
Fola
Mavo
Rema
Wizkid
Burna Boy

Best Inspirational Single
Amioluwa — Sunmisola Agbebi ft Yinka Okeleye
Favour — Lawrence Oyor
Idinma (You Are Good) — Sinach
Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) — EmmaOMG
No Turning Back 2 — Gaise Baba ft Lawrence Oyor
We Move — Mercy Chinwo

Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Adekunle Gold — I’m Not Done
Flavour — Orente
Magixx — Winter and Summer
Odeal — Patience
Syemca — Love Egbugomo
Tay Iwar — Bad Belle

Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Layefa — 6:35
Amaeya — How Do You?
Sewa — Lagos Lovin
Qing Madi — Scum Bag
Liya — Skin to Skin
Tiwa Savage — You4Me

Hall of Fame
Awilo Longomba

Best Street-Hop Artiste
Famous Pluto — Na Scra
Kashcoming — All My Money
Poco Lee — Hey Jago ft Shoday and Rahman Jago
Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
Shallipopi — Laho
Tuff King — Nkemakonam
Rybeena — Gaddem ft Shoday

Rookie of the Year
Amma
Danpapa Gta
Firstklaz
Kidd Carder
No11
Priesst
OG Abbah

International Artiste of the Year
Ciara
Dave
Gunna
Jazmine Sullivan
Shenseea
Tiakola

Writer of the Year
Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold) — Many People
Anthony Ebuka Victor (Victony) — Cough Syrup with BNXN
Fuayefika Maxwell (Wizard Chan) — Time Traveler
Odunlami Afolarin Temiloluwa (Fola) — Who Does That?
Oluwabukunmi Ariyibi Peter (Kunmie)
Peace Chidinma Amaefula (Amaeya) — How Do You?

Best Headies Collaboration
CKay ft Mavo — Body (Danz)
Mavo ft Wavestar — Escaladizzy
Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — Hey Jago
Fola ft Kizz Daniel — Lost
Odumodublvck ft Victony — Pity This Boy
Davido ft Omah Lay — With You
Mr Eazi and King Promise — See What We’ve Done
Chief Priest ft Spyki — Finally

African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste
Debby Friday — Lipsync
Tôme — CC ft Alpha P
Bolu Ajibade — Diana with Friyie
Nonso Amadi — Dive In
Rooky Kamiz — Deeper
Tobi — Out the Mud

East African Artiste
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Bien (Kenya)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)

West African Artiste
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
KiDi (Ghana)
King Promise (Ghana)
Moliy (Ghana)
Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)

Best Alternative Song
CYK Baddie — Luwa.mp4 ft Jeleel!
Lagos Lovin — Sewa
Oliver — Wizard Chan
Omo to Sexy — Binde
Prada Baby — Wavestar
Sweet Danger — Obongjayar
Summer Adina — Chief Priest ft BoyPee & Zoro Swagbag

North African Artiste
Balti (Tunisia)
Dystinct (Morocco)
Marwan Moussa (Egypt)
Soolking (Algeria)
Tul8te (Egypt)

Central African Artiste
Fally Ipupa (DR Congo)
Ferré Gola (DR Congo)
Héritier Watanabe (DR Congo)
Hiro (DR Congo)
Innoss’B (DR Congo)
Locko (Cameroon)

Rap Single
2:02 PM in London — Odumodublvck
ACi — Blaqbonez
Man2Man — Dremo
Moshood — PDSTRN
Nkemakonam — Tuff King
Wuse Tu — Zaylevelten, Mavo
John Wick — Zhus Jdo

R&B Single
6:35 — Layefa
How Do You? — Amaeya
I Love You — Amma
What You Need — Tems
Winter & Summer — Magixx
You4Me — Tiwa Savage

Producer of the Year
Magicsticks — Jogodo by Asake & Wizkid and Real, Vol. 1 by Asake & Wizkid
P.Priime — MMS by Asake & Wizkid, Baby (Is It a Crime) by Rema, Billionaires Club by Olamide, Darkoo & Wizkid
Ragee — Hot Body by Ayra Starr
Sarz — Hot Body by Ayra Starr and Who’s Dat Girl by Ayra Starr ft Rema
Tempoe — With You by Davido ft Omah Lay and SMH by Joeboy

Viewers’ Choice
Ayra Starr — Hot Body
Davido — With You ft Omah Lay
Rema — Baby (Is It a Crime)
Fola — You
Wizkid — Jogodo with Asake
Kunmie — Arike
Mavo —- Escaladizzy ft Wavestar

Original Song for Visual Media
All My Love — Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder, from Evi
Behind the Scenes — Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro, from Behind the Scenes
Save Me — Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba, from To Kill a Monkey
Only in Lagos — WurlD & Liya, from Christmas in Lagos

Lyricist on the Roll
Blaqbonez — ACi
Dremo — Man2Man
Modenine — If You Like Gym with Odumodublvck
PDSTRN — Moshood
Ycee — Man2Man (Ycee Remix) with Dremo

Entertainment

It Wasn’t Easy – Johnny Drille Reveals How He Met His Wife At Mavin

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Nigerian singer Johnny Drille has revealed that his marriage to Rima Tahini began during his time with Mavin Records, where the music executive worked at the record label.

Daily Voice reports that Drille explained that his connection with Tahini started in 2018 while he was signed to Mavin.

In an interview with Music Moments, he also credited the label and its founder, Don Jazzy, with creating the environment where he eventually met the woman who became his wife.

The singer said their relationship began around November or December 2018, but the couple decided to keep it away from the public.

They managed to maintain their privacy for about five years before their relationship became known to fans.

By the time their relationship was publicly confirmed in July 2023, Drille and Tahini had already been married for more than a year.

He said: “I met my wife at Mavins. I think about it now and how much work we had to put into keeping it under wraps for so long. We started dating in November/December 2018, and the rest of the world got to know in July 2023. And that’s probably five years after, and by then, we had already gotten married. It wasn’t easy keeping it under wraps, but I am grateful.”

Tahini previously served as the Director of A&R at Mavin Records.

The couple later announced the arrival of their first child, Amaris Esohe Ighodaro.

Entertainment

Another Yoruba Actor Dies Less Than 24 Hours After Ogogo’s Passing

Published

7 hours ago

August 25, 2026

The Daily Voice

A Yoruba oral poet, actor, and Ijala chanter, Alabi Ogundepo, has died at age 84. His family announced the multi-talented artist’s death on Monday.

According to a statement by Dupe Ogundepo on behalf of the family, the chanter passed away after years of dedication to literature and enriching the Yoruba culture.

Ms Ogundepo described the poet’s death as “a profound sense of loss” to Saki, Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.

The statement said, “His presence commanded respect, while his words often inspired reflection and appreciation of our shared heritage.

“While the family mourns the passing of a beloved father, husband, grandfather, relative and friend, we are also comforted by the enduring legacy he leaves behind through his writings, relationships, values and contributions to society.

“Chief Alabi Ogundepo may have departed this world, but his voice, his poetry and the memories he created will continue to live on.”

The family said it would announce the poet’s funeral service later.

The poet was particularly famous in Yoruba culture for his praise poetry for hunters and his poetic narration of hunting experiences.

Reacting, the Okere of Sakiland, Oba Khalid Olabisi Oyedepo III, expressed sadness over the death of the Yoruba oral artist and Ijala poet.

The Oke Ogun paramount ruler, in a statement on Tuesday, said the late poet contributed significantly to the development of Saki land through his artistic and cultural activities.

“The Okere of Sakiland, Oba Dr Surv. Khalid Oyeniyi Olabisi Oyedepo III, has expressed sadness over the death of renowned Yoruba traditional oral artist and legendary Ijala poet, Chief Alabi Ogundepo, who died on Monday at the age of 86,” the monarch said in a Facebook post.

The monarch said the poet contributed to Saki’s identity and cultural heritage, particularly by composing the Saki Anthem. He described the late poet as “a distinguished custodian of Yoruba cultural heritage whose talent and dedication helped preserve Ijala poetry for successive generations”.

Entertainment

‘If I Knew Funke Would Go This Far, I Would Have Held Her Tight’ – Nollywood Actress, Bunmi Nelson

Published

1 day ago

August 24, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Nollywood actress Bunmi Nelson has expressed regret for turning down an opportunity to work with her colleague, Funke Akindele, admitting she failed to recognise her potential in the past.

Daily Voice reports that Bunmi reflected on their past during an interview on the ‘Talk to B’ YouTube podcast.

Bunmi warned people against looking down on others, stressing that she would not have underestimated Funke in the past.

She said, “I didn’t see Funke going far. That’s why in life, don’t underestimate anybody. Don’t look down on anyone except when you’re admiring their shoelace. If I knew Funke would go far like this, I would have held her tight because I can’t even see her back now.”

Bunmi further explained that Funke Akindele introduced her to Odunfa Caucus, a legendary theatre group and acting academy, after they met through a mutual friend.

According to Bunmi, while she was providing houses as filming locations for many filmmakers, Akindele approached and repeatedly encouraged her to join the industry. Still, she took the calls for granted and missed what could have been a major career opportunity.

She stated, “I missed that big opportunity because Funke was telling me then that, ‘Ah, why don’t you come?

“I was telling her, ‘I’ve heard a lot about Yoruba industry. They will say you should say, auntie. They will say you should kneel. Then one person say you should carry bag.

“That is why you need to humble yourself in life. If there’s anything I’ve learned in life now, it’s humility.”

While apologising to Kunle Afod and Sodiq Adebayo, Bunmi Nelson appealed for another opportunity to work with Funke Akindele.