Full List of 2023 Headies Nominees and Winners

The much anticipated 2023 Headies Award has come to an end. The award organizers only recognized 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).

Winners have been announced. Here are the nominees for each award category and the winners.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• Odumodu Blvck
• Bayyani
• Guchi
• Eltee
• Khaid

Winner: Odumodu Blvck

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

Winner: ‘Soweto’ by Victony, Tempoe

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

• MAGICSTICKS – “SUNGBA REMIX” (ASAKE)
• PHEELZ – “ELECTRICTY” (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)

Winner: ‘Abracadabra’ by Rexxie

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)

Winner: ‘Loyal’ by Simi Kosoko, Goodsfavour Chidozie, Kosoko Adekunle, Marcel Akunwata

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

Winner:

BEST RAP SINGLE

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

Winner: ‘Declan Rice’ by ODUMODUBLVCK

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

Winner: ‘Gbagada Express’ by BOJ

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

• NINIOLA – “MEMORIES”
• SIMI – “LOYAL”
• WAJE – “IN BETWEEN“
• LIYA – “ADUA REMIX”
• PREYE – “RED WINE”
• DAMI ONIRU – “JUST 4 U”

Winner: ‘In Between’ by Waje

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”

Winner: ‘Kpe Paso’ by Wande Coal

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

• BLAQBONEZ & Perliks – “BACK IN UNI”
• 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)

Winner: ‘Calm Down’ – Director K.

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”

Winner: ‘Who’s Your Guy Remix’ – Spyro, Tiwa Savage

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”

Winner: ‘Chance (Na Ham)’ by Seyi Vibez

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

Winner: ‘Last Last’ by Burna Boy

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”

Winners: ‘Soweto’ by Victony

BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

• GYAKIE (GHANA)
• BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
• THE THERAPIST (LIBERIA)
• CAMIDOH (GHANA)

Winners: Black Sherif (Ghana)

BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

• ZUCHU
• DIAMOND PLATINUMZ
• RAYVANNY
• EDDY KENZO
• HEWAN GEBREWORLD

Winners: Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)

BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

• MARWA LOUD – MOROCCO
• WEGZ – EGYPT
• EL GRANDE TOTO – MOROCCO
• SOOLKING – ALGERIA

Winners: El Grande Toto (Morocco)

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

Winners: Focalistic (South Africa)

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

Winners: 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

Winner: The Brother’s Keeper – Chike

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

Winners: ‘Tinko Tinko’ by Obong Jayar

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

Winners:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Airtel 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

Winners: ‘Young Preacher‘ by Blaqbonez

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

Winners: ‘Last Last’ – Burna Boy.

BEST FEMALE ARTISTE

• TEMS
• SIMI
• AYRA STARR
• TIWA SAVAGE

Winners: Ayra Starr.

BEST MALE ARTISTE

• ASAKE
• REMA
• KIZZ DANIEL
• RUGER
• OMAH LAY
• BURNA BOY

Winners: Rema.

NEXT RATED

• YOUNG JONN
• SEYI VIBEZ
• ASAKE
• VICTONY
• SPYRO

Winners: Asake.

AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

• REMA (NIGERIA)
• BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
• MARWA LOUD (MOROCCO)
• BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
• DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)

Winners: Rema (Nigeria).

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• DRAKE
• FUTURE
• SELENA GOMEZ
• DON TOLIVER
• ED SHEERAN

Winner: Selena Gomez

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”

Winners: ‘Flytalk Only’ by Payper Corleone

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

Winners: ‘Eze Ebube’ by Neon Adejo

DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

• BURNA BOY
• AYRA STARR
• REMA
• OMAH LAY
• KIZZ DANIEL
• ASAKE

Winners: ‘Calm Down’ by Rema 

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE RECOGNITION

• SEAN ‘LOVE’ COMBS

HALL OF FAME

• YOUSSOU N’DOUR

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

• SOUND SULTAN