In 2024, following the dashed hopes for Nigerian artists at the Grammy Awards, The Headies—one of Africa’s most prestigious music awards—announced its decision to finally bring the ceremony back to its home soil. This announcement sparked widespread excitement, as fans and artists alike had eagerly awaited the event’s return to Nigeria after the 15th and 16th editions were hosted in the United States. Over the months since, anticipation has steadily built for the awards’ homecoming, particularly given its significance in celebrating Nigeria’s booming music and entertainment industry.
The Headies, often dubbed “Nigeria’s Grammys,” has long been a cornerstone of recognition for Afrobeats, Hip Hop, Afropop, and other homegrown genres. Its temporary relocation to America drew mixed reactions, with many arguing that the awards should remain rooted in Nigeria’s creative ecosystem. Fast-forward to last week, when The Headies’ organizing committee released the full list of nominees for its highly anticipated 17th edition, scheduled to take place in Nigeria by April. The nomination announcement immediately caused a significant stir online, with fans passionately debating snubs, surprises, nominations across social media platforms.
Amidst the buzz, there were several problematic areas that need addressing in future editions. One of the most talked-about issues was the omission of notable songs and artists that would have fit certain categories perfectly. Despite an eligibility period spanning April 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024, glaring absences included Kcee’s smash hit “Ojapiano,” which was nowhere to be found in the Afrobeats Single of the Year or Song of the Year categories. Even the track’s producer, Jay Synths, was excluded.
The snubs extended to other producers: Pprime, despite his critical contributions to Rema’s acclaimed album HEIS , was overlooked, as was Blaise Beatz for his work on the viral hit “Twe Twe.” Kitzo was also notably absent from the nominations.
Deeper scrutiny of the list raises further questions. Why was Asake’s “Lonely At The Top” missing from Best Recording of the Year? Why did Ruger and BNXN’s collaboration “Poe” fail to secure a Best Collaboration nod? ODUMODUBLVCK’s exclusion from the Lyricist on the Roll category, TML Vibez and Muyeez’s absence from Rookie of the Year (despite their breakout year), and Kashcoming’s omission from Best Street-Hop Artist all stood out. Most shocking, however, was the absence of Seyi Vibez and Kizz Daniel from the Artiste of the Year category.
Mistakes in the selection steps have also made people question if the awards follow their own entry rules. For example, Omah Lay’s song “Moving,” released on August 23, 2024, was nominated for Best Vocal Performance (Male) even though it came out after the set deadline. This error makes people wonder how carefully the organizers check entries and suggests they need tighter checks to protect the awards’ honesty. Such slip-ups could push away supporters and weaken the reputation of an event meant to honor musical excellence.
Beyond the snubs, the organizers’ decision to stagger the nomination reveals over an entire day drew criticism. While likely intended to generate suspense and engagement, the approach felt tedious and failed to fully achieve its intended purpose.
One would expect major changes in the Headies Award, especially since it was announced that it is coming back to home soil. Given that they had two years to circle back, restrategize, and execute in an excellent way, that wasn’t really the case. Many people were left a little disappointed with the first stage (nomination stage) of the 17th edition. Improvement was expected all around, and even as they introduced new award categories, the alternative/traditional song and album category was nowhere to be found—a wrong move, especially with the steady growth of the alternative (alté) scene, as seen every day on the internet.
The recent removal of all Alternative music categories at the Headies Awards has caused backlash, showing a repeated pattern of unsteadiness in the award system. This is not the first time the Headies organizers have changed or dropped categories on their own without clear reasons, making people doubt the fairness and reliability of their decisions. These sudden changes harm the awards’ trustworthiness and show a lack of clear rules, leaving artists and fans unsure if the committee truly cares about fair treatment.
Another problem is the total absence of an R&B album category—a big mistake since Nigeria’s R&B scene is growing strong. In recent years, Nigerian artists have created a unique mix of R&B albums blended with Afrobeats, which could be referred to as “Afro-R&B.” This rising style has produced highly praised albums, one of which is Tems Born in The Wild. Ignoring the R&B album category sparked backlash and overlooked a major cultural shift that mixes traditional African music with modern global trends.
Redesigning the Headies Award is another major change that should have taken place. With the rapid emergence of artistic talent across Nigeria, the old head design of the Headies is still being used, when a new design, sticking to the original concept, should have been created and implemented—or even introduced as a symbol of homecoming.
Hopefully, all these amendments will be considered in the next edition because, truly, the Headies Award will always remain a music entertainment institution that many artists, producers, and music executives look forward to winning or being nominated for, in recognition of their work and contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.
