Wizkid and his colleague, Mavo, got the joint third-most nominations behind Fola, who led the pack, and Omah Lay, who is in second place.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Afrobeats star Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has picked up seven nominations for the 2026 edition of the Headies Awards, themed: “Africa to the World.”
This was revealed on Tuesday after the organisers of the 18th edition of the show unveiled the nominees in a trending post shared on Instagram.
This year’s edition of the Headies Awards is expected to take place in Toronto, Canada, on 25 October 2026.
The list, which features 213 nominations across all categories, is headlined by four major artists: Wizkid, Omah Lay, Fola, and Mavo.
While Fola led with 10 nominations, he is followed by Omah Lay, who received eight nods. Wizkid and Mavo also bagged seven nominations each.
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Similarly, Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr were the most nominated female artistes, with five nominations each.
See the categories and nominees below:
Song of the Year
- Rahman Jago
- With You — Davido & Omah Lay
- Hey Jago — Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago
- Joy Is Coming — Fido
- Hot Body — Ayra Starr
- Arike — Kunmie
- MMS — Asake & Wizkid
Afrobeats Single of the Year
- You — Fola
- Jogodo — Asake & Wizkid
- With You — Davido & Omah Lay
- Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
- Fun — Rema
- Laho — Shallipopi
Best Performer (Live)
- Asake — Red Bull Symphonic
- Adekunle Gold — Live at the National Theatre, Lagos
- Ayra Starr — Global Citizen Festival 2025
- Ruger — Live at Indigo at The O2, London (2025)
- Johnny Drille — Johnny’s Room Live 6
Best R&B Album
- Catharsis — Fola
- I Am the Blueprint — Qing Madi
- Reflection Station — Tay Iwar
- Love Is a Kingdom — Tems
- This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
- Before We Became Strangers — Kunmie
Best Recording of the Year
- How Do You? — Amaeya
- You — Fola
- Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
- Coping Mechanism — Omah Lay & Elmah
- With You — Davido & Omah Lay
- Arike — Kunmie
Best Alternative Album
- Detox — Sewa
- Olorin Pack — Scottyolorin
- Duplicity — BOJ
- Then It Got Crazy — Zaylevelten
- Afrika Magik — SDC
- Healers Chapel — Wizard Chan
Digital Artiste of the Year
- Ayra Starr
- Asake
- BNXN
- Seyi Vibez
- Fola
- Mavo
- Wizkid
- Chella
Next Rated
- Fola
- Shoday
- Llona
- Mavo
- Fido
Afrobeats Album of the Year
- Morayo — Wizkid
- 5ive — Davido
- No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
- Captain — BNXN
- Fuji — Adekunle Gold
- Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
Music Video of the Year
- Dammy Twitch — With You — Davido
- Jyde Ajala — Wizard Chan
- TG Omori — Afroculture — Flavour ft. Baaba Maal
- Director K — Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
- Director Pink — 10 Kilo — Davido
Best Female Artiste
- Tiwa Savage
- Ayra Starr
- Sewa
- Qing Madi
- Tems
- Teni
Best Male Artiste
- Fola
- Asake
- Mavo
- Wizkid
- Rema
- Burna Boy
- Adekunle Gold
Rookie of the Year
- Priesst
- Danpapa GTA
- Kidd Carder
- Firstklaz
- NO11
- OG Abbah
- Amma
Best Inspirational Single
- Favour — Lawrence Oyor
- We Move — Mercy Chinwo
- Idinma (You Are Good) — Sinach
- No Turning Back 2 — Gaise Baba ft. Lawrence Oyor
- Amioluwa — Sunmisola Agbebi ft. Yinka Okeleye
- Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) — EmmaOMG
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
- Magixx — Winter and Summer
- Flavour — Orente
- Odeal — Patience
- Syemca — Love Egbugomo
- Tay Iwar — Bad Belle
- Adekunle Gold — I’m Not Done
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
- Amaeya — How Do You?
- Tiwa Savage — You4Me
- Sewa — Lagos Lovin
- Liya — Skin to Skin
- Layefa — 6:35
- Qing Madi — Scum Bag
Best Street-Hop Artiste
- Kashcoming — All My Money
- Shallipopi — Laho
- Poco Lee — Hey Jago ft. Shoday and Rahman Jago
- Famous Pluto — Na Scra
- Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
- Rybeena — Gaddem ft. Shoday
- Tuff King — Nkemakonam
International Artiste of the Year
- Shenseea
- Dave
- Gunna
- Jazmine Sullivan
- Tiakola
- Ciara
