Headies Award 2022: Nomination List Release

The Headies Award which is usually held annually has been on a bit of pressure for some weeks for the release of the nominees for the 2022 edition.
The Headies released the list of nominees for this year’s edition on Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 via the Headies Instagram page. The award ceremony is slated to hold for the first time in the United States of America.
A number of music stars were nominated with some having multiple nominations like Wizkid’s “Essence”, Ayra Starr’s “Bloody Samaritan”, Davido, Adekunle Gold and a few others.
Ghana seems to have multiple artists nominated for the Best West African Artiste section.
Some first timers made it through to this year’s nomination list like Magixx, Portable alongside other fast rising artistes.

See full list of all the nominees contending for the award under and various categories/sections below

The Rookie Of The Year
AV
Fave
Magixx
Portable
Ugoccie

The Best Recording Of The Year
“Celebrate Me” – Patoranking
“Essence” – Wizkid Ft Tems
“Joy” – Falana
“Loving Is Harder” – Johnny Drille
“Meji Meji” – Brymo
“Somebody’s Son” – Tiwa Savage Ft Brandy

The Producer Of The Year
Beats By Jayy – “Golden” (A-Q)
Blaise Beatz – “Sinner” (Adekunle Gold Feat. Lucky Daye)
Niphkeys – “Feel Good” (Mohbad)
P Priime – “Ozumba Mbadiwe” (Reekado Banks)
Pheelz – “High” (Adekunle Gold Feat. Davido)

The Best R&B single
“Baby Riddim” – Fave
“Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr Feat. Ckay
“Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems
“Running (To You)” – Chike Feat. Simi
“Promise” – Niniola
“Sinner” – Adekunle Gold Feat. Luck Daye

The Songwriter Of The Year
Adekunle Gold – “Sinner”
Ajebo Hustlers – “Loyalty”
Brymo – “Meji Meji”
Falana – “Joy”
Fireboy Dml – “Peru”
Omah Lay – “Understand”

The Best Alternative Song
“Doings” – Flavour
“Free Your Mind” – Made Kuti
“Gonto” – Ibejii
“Hustle” – Basketmouth, The Cavemen, Bez, Dice Ailes
“Meji Meji” – Brymo
“Selense” – The Cavemen

The Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Ayra Starr – “Toxic”
Liya – “Alari”
Niniola – “6th Heaven”
Simi – “Running (To You)”
Tems – “Essence”
Waje – “Last Time”

The Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Brymo – “Meji Meji”
Johnny Drille – “Loving Is Harder”
Oxlade – “Ojuju”
Ric Hassani – “When I’m Gone”
Tay Iwar – “Peaking”

The Best Music Video
“Champion” – (Fireboy Dml Feat. D Smoke) Directed By Tg Omori
“Ginger” – (Wizkid Feat. Burna Boy) Directed By Meji Alabi
“Roju” – (Chike) Directed By Pink
“Rain” – (Yemi Alade Feat. Mzansi Youth Choir) Directed By Ovie Etseyatse
“Bling” – (Blaqbonez Feat. Amaarae & Bnxn) Directed By Tg Omori
“Running” – (Ladipoe Feat. Fireboy Dml) Directed By Director K

The Best Collaboration
“Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr Feat. Ckay
“Bling” – Blaqbonez Feat. Amaarae & Bnxn
“Early Momo” – Vector Feat. Goodgirl LA
“Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems
“Feeling” – Ladipoe Feat. Bnxn
“Running (To You)” – Chike Feat. Simi

The Best Street-Hop Artiste
Bella Shmurda – “Cash App” Feat. Zlatan & Lincoln
Rexxie & Mohbad – “Kpk”
Mohbad – “Feel Good”
Naira Marley – “Koleyewon”
Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano (Remix)”
Poco Lee, Portable & Olamide – “Zazoo Zehh”

The Best Afrobeats Single Of The Year
“Bloody Samaritan” – Ayra Starr
“Bounce” – Ruger
“High” – Adekunle Gold Feat. Davido
“Monalisa” – Lojay & Sarz
“Ozumba Mbadiwe” – Reekado Banks
“Peru” – Fireboy Dml

The Headies’ Viewer’s Choice
Ayra Starr – “Bloody Samaritan”
Fireboy – “Peru”
Joeboy – “Sip”
Lojay & Sarz – “Monalisa”
Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano (Remix)”
Olamide Feat. Omah Lay – “Infinity”
Rema – “Soundgasm”
Wizkid Feat. Tems – “Essence”

The Best West African Artiste Of The Year
Amaarae (Ghana)
Angelique Kidjo (Benin)
Aya Nakamura (Mali)
Gyakie (Ghana)
Kidi (Ghana)
Nelson Freitas (Cape Verde)

The Best East African Artiste Of The Year
Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)
Essy Kenzo (Uganda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Maddy (Rwanda)
Nikita Kering (Kenya)
Zuchu (Tanzania)

The Best North African Artiste Of the Year
Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia)
Elgrandetoto (Morocco)
Latifah (Tunisia)
Manual (Morocco)
Muhammad Ramadan (Egypt)
Soolking (Algeria)

The Best Southern African Artiste Of The Year
Black Coffee (South Africa)
Dj Tarico (Mozambique)
Elaine (South Africa)
Focalistic (South Africa)
Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe)
Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)

The Best Afrobeats Album
“19 And Dangerous” – Ayra Starr
“A Better Time” – Davido
“Barnabas” – Kizz Daniel
“Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition)” – Wizkid
“Kpos Lifestyle” – Ajebo Hustlers
“Wondaland” – Teni

The Best Reggae & Dancehall Album
“Gratitude” – Timaya
“Love Is War” – Prettyboy D-O
“Rainbow Riddim” – Shank
“Three” – Patoranking
“Yaadman Kingsize” – Yung L

The Best R&B Album
“Before We Fall Asleep” – Johnny Drille
“If Orange Was A Place” – Tems
“Love Deep High Life” – Omawumi
“Rising” – Falana
“The Prince I Became” – Ric Hassani
“Water And Garri” – Tiwa Savage

The Best Alternative Album
“9: Esan” – Brymo
“Intermission” – Ibejii
“Legacy +” – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
“Love And Highlife” – The Cavemen
“P.S. Thank You For Waiting” – Wavy The Creator
“Yabasi” – Basketmouth

The Best Rap Album
“Carpe Diem” – Olamide
“Clone Wars Vol. 5 – The Algorhythm” – Show Dem Camp
“Golden” – A-Q
“Mafia Culture, Vol. 2.0” – Idowest
“Providence” – Ladipoe
“Sex Over Love” – Blaqbonez

The Album Of The Year
“9: Esan” – Brymo
“19 & Dangerous” – Ayra Starr
“Carpe Diem” – Olamide
“Legacy +” – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
“Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition)” – Wizkid
“Yabasi” – Basketmouth

The Song Of The Year
“Celebrate Me” – Patoranking
“Doings” – Flavour Feat. Phyno
“Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems
“High” – Adekunle Gold Feat. Davido
“Monalisa” – Lojay & Sarz
“Peru” – Fireboy Dml

The Best Female Artiste
Simi
Tems
Tiwa Savage
Teni
Niniola

The Best Male Artiste
Adekunle Gold
Burna Boy
Davido
Flavour
Olamide
Wizkid

The Next Rated
Ayra Starr
Bnxn
Lojay
Ruger
Zinoleesky

The African Artiste Of The Year
Black Coffee (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)
Soolking (Algeria)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Aya Nakamura (Mali )

The Lyricist On The Roll
A-Q – “The Last Cypher”
Blaqbonez – “The Last Cypher”
Jesse Jagz – “Vipers”
Ladipoe – “Providence”
Payper Corleone – “In Don We Trust”
Vector – “Crown Of Clay”

The Humanitarian Award Of The Year
2face Idibia
Ruggedman
Davido
Don Jazzy

The East Central African Artiste Of The Year
Calema (Sao Tome & Principe)
Blanche Bailly (Cameroon)
Dadju (Dr Congo)
Fally Ipupa (Dr Congo)
Innoss’b (Dr Congo)
Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

The Best Rap Single
“Breathe” – A-Q Feat Chike
“Crown Of Clay” – Vector & Mi Abaga Feat. Pheelz
“Early Momo” – Vector Feat. Goodgirl LA
“Feeling” – Ladipoe Feat. Bnxn
“Tycoon” – Show Dem Camp – Feat. Reminisce & Mojo
“Loading” – Olamide Feat Bad Boy Timz