The nominees for the 2026 Headies were announced on Tuesday, with the five artistes shortlisted for the award, which recognises emerging talents making a strong impact on Nigeria’s music scene.
The 18th Headies Awards ceremony is scheduled to hold in Canada.
Fola has emerged as one of the promising new voices in Nigeria’s contemporary music scene. He earned a Next Rated nomination following the growing popularity of his songs, including You, which also earned nominations for Afrobeats Single of the Year and Best Recording of the Year.
He was also nominated for Best R&B Album for Catharsis and Digital Artiste of the Year, making him one of the artistes with multiple nominations at this year’s ceremony.
Shoday has also continued to attract attention with his distinctive sound and collaborations with established artistes. His Next Rated nomination follows his growing profile, particularly after his contribution to Hey Jago, a collaboration with Poco Lee and Rahman Jago that was nominated for Song of the Year.
Mavo, whose real name is Marvin Ukanigbe, is another emerging act recognised in this year’s nominations. His growing presence in the Nigerian music industry earned him a place in the Next Rated category, while he also secured a nomination for Digital Artiste of the Year.
Fido has further established himself as one of the notable new-generation Nigerian artistes, with his music gaining traction among Afrobeats listeners. He was nominated for Next Rated, while his songs Joy Is Coming and Fun earned nominations for Song of the Year and Afrobeats Single of the Year respectively.
Llona completes the five-man shortlist. The artiste has built a growing following with his music and is among the emerging acts expected to make a significant impact on the Nigerian music scene.
Beyond the Next Rated category, several of Nigeria’s biggest artistes also secured nominations across various categories.
For Song of the Year, nominees include Kunmie’s Arike; Hey Jago by Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago; Ayra Starr’s Hot Body; Fido’s Joy Is Coming; MMS by Asake and Wizkid; and With You by Davido and Omah Lay.
The Afrobeats Single of the Year category features Rema’s Fun, Asake and Wizkid’s Jogodo, Shallipopi’s Laho, Davido and Omah Lay’s With You, Fola’s You and Burna Boy’s Bundle by Bundle.
For Best R&B Album, nominees include Kunmie’s Before We Became Strangers, Fola’s Catharsis, Qing Madi’s I Am the Blueprint, Tems’ Love Is a Kingdom, Tay Iwar’s Reflection Station and Tiwa Savage’s This One Is Personal.
The Digital Artiste of the Year category features Asake, Ayra Starr, BNXN, Chella, Fola, Mavo, Seyi Vibez and Wizkid.
The 18th Headies Awards will be held in Canada, with the ceremony set to celebrate outstanding achievements and talents across Nigeria’s music industry.
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