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
