The Headies Academy announced the 2023 Rookie of the Year nominees on July 11, 2023.
Fast-rising artist Odumodu Blvck, who has had a stellar 2023, is included on the list. Other musicians on the list include Bloody Civilian, who appeared in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Bayyani, a star on Mavin Records who is quickly rising, Singer Guchi, Eltee Skillz, whose song “ODG” became a major hit in 2022, and up-and-coming performer Khaid.
The Headies continued to announce nominees for the 2023 awards on July 12.
Below is a list of the nominees for the 2023 Headies Award.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
- Odumodu Blvck
- Bayyani
- Guchi
- Eltee
- Khaid
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
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)
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)
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
BEST RAP SINGLE
- “HUSTLE” – REMINISCE
- “BIG ENERGY” – LADIPOE
- “BACK IN UNI” – BLAQBONEZ
- “BANDO DIARIES” – PSYCHOYP
- “DECLAN RICE” – ODUMODUBLVCK
- “MY BRO” – JERIQ FT. PHYNO
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
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
- NINIOLA – “MEMORIES”
- SIMI – “LOYAL”
- WAJE – “IN BETWEEN“
- LIYA – “ADUA REMIX”
- PREYE – “RED WINE”
- DAMI ONIRU – “JUST 4 U”
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”
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
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”
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”
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BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- GYAKIE (GHANA)
- BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
- THE THERAPIST (LIBERIA)
- CAMIDOH (GHANA)
BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- ZUCHU
- DIAMOND PLATINUMZ
- RAYVANNY
- EDDY KENZO
- HEWAN GEBREWORLD
BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- MARWA LOUD – MOROCCO
- WEGZ – EGYPT
- EL GRANDE TOTO – MOROCCO
- SOOLKING – ALGERIAMOHBAD – “PEACE”
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
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”
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
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
BEST R&B ALBUM
ADVERTISEMENT- HOME – JOHNNY DRILLE
- THE BROTHER’S KEEPER – CHIKE
- RECKLESS – PRAIZ
- WAJE 2.0 – WAJE
- MATTER OF TIME – DAMI ONIRU
- TO BE HONEST (TBH) – SIMI
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
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
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
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
BEST FEMALE ARTISTE
ADVERTISEMENT- TEMS
- SIMI
- AYRA STARR
- TIWA SAVAGE
BEST MALE ARTISTE
- ASAKE
- REMA
- KIZZ DANIEL
- RUGER
- OMAH LAY
- BURNA BOY
NEXT RATED
- YOUNG JONN
- SEYI VIBEZ
- ASAKE
- VICTONY
- SPYRO
AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- REMA (NIGERIA)
- BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
- MARWA LOUD (MOROCCO)
- BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
- DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- DRAKE
- FUTURE
- SELENA GOMEZ
- DON TOLIVER
- ED SHEERAN
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”
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
DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- BURNA BOY
- AYRA STARR
- REMA
- OMAH LAY
- KIZZ DANIEL
- ASAKE
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE RECOGNITION
- SEAN ‘LOVE’ COMBS
HALL OF FAME
- YOUSSOU N’DOUR
