On September 21, 2019, Nigeria’s biggest and most prestigious music award show, The Headies, opened its doors to receive entries for its 13th music award with this year’s edition themed ‘The Power of A Dream’.

The year in review was announced as January 2018 and June 2019. The award show is scheduled to hold October 19th, 2019.

Running for over a decade, the 13th Headies award will feature 23 unique categories in recognition of Africa’s finest artiste.

This includes; Best Recording of the Year; Best Pop Single; Producer of The Year; Best Rap Album; Best R&B/ Pop Album; Best Collabo; Best Rap Single; Best Vocal Performance (Male); Best Vocal Performance (Female); Next Rated; Hip Hop World Revelation; and Lyricist on The Roll.

Others are the Best Street-Hop Artiste; Album of The Year; Artiste of The Year; Song of The Year; African Artiste Recognition; Headies’ Viewer’s Choice; Industry Brand Supporter; Best Performer; Songwriter of The Year; Rookie of The Year; Special Recognition; Hall of Fame.

When nominations were opened, 29 categories were announced. But with the announcement for nominees, only 23 categories were announced. Categories like Best Reggae/Dancehall, Best Alternative Album, Best R&B Single, Best Songwriter and two others were cut.

Last year’s edition saw Nigeria’s sensational artiste, Olamide, with the highest number of nominations (10). He was closely followed by Tuface (7), Wizkid (6), Davido (4), and Clarence Peters (4).

1.      BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.

1. Adekunle Gold – Ire

2.  Patoranking – Heal D World

3. Brymo – Olanrewaju

4.  Teni – Uyo Meyo

5. Burna Boy – Ye

2.      BEST POP SINGLE

A category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).

1.  ‘Ye’ – Burna Boy

2.  ‘Wetin We Gain’ – Victor AD

3.  ‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid

4.  ‘Case’ – Teni

5.  ‘Jealous’ – Fireboy DML

6.   ‘Baby’ – Joeboy

3.      PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.

1.      Phantom – ‘Ye’ b Burna Boy

2.      Ozedikus – ‘Dumebi’ by Rema

3.      Spellz – ‘Askamaya’ by Teni

4.      Killertunes – ‘Fake Love’ by Starboy ft Duncan Mighty and Wizkid

5.      Kel-P Vibes – ‘Killing Dem’ by Burna Boy ft Zlatan

4.      BEST RAP ALBUM

A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.

1. ‘Moral Instruction’ – Falz

2.   ‘Crown’ – AQ and Loose Kaynon

3.      ‘A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl’ – M.I Abaga

4.      ‘Clone Wars, Vol. IV (These Buhari Times)’ – Show Dem Camp

5.      BEST R&B/ POP ALBUM

A category for the best r&b/pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

1.       rare. – Odunsi (The Engine)

2.       Outside – Burna Boy

3.       No Bad Songz – Kizz Daniel

4.      Mayor of Lagos – Mayorkun

5.       About 30 – Adekunle Gold

6.      BEST MUSIC VIDEO

A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.

1.      ‘Dangote’ (Burna Boy) – Clarence Peters

2.      ‘Available’ (Patoranking) – Clarence Peters

3.      ‘Ire’ (Adekunle Gold) – Aje Films

4.      ‘Talk’ (Falz) – Prodigeezy

5.      ‘Jaiye’ (Ladipoe) – 88 Factor

7.      BEST R&B SINGLE

A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).

1.      ‘Tipsy’ – Odunsi ft. RAYE

2.      ‘Serenade’ – Funbi

3.      ‘Uyo Meyo’ – Teni

4.      ‘Wishes and Butterflies’ – Wurld

5.      ‘Gimme Love’ – Seyi Shay ft. Runtown

8.      BEST COLLABO

A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).

1.      ‘Like’ – Reekado Banks Ft. Tiwa Savage, Fiokee

2.      ‘One Ticket’ – Kiss Daniel ft. Davido

3.      ‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid

4.      ‘Killin’ Dem’ – Burna Boy Ft. Zlatan

5.      ‘Amaka’ – 2baba Ft. Peruzzi

9.      BEST RAP SINGLE

A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.

1.      ‘Talk’ – Falz

2.      ‘We Don’t Do That Over Here’ – Hotyce

3.      ‘40ft Container’ – Illbliss ft. Olamide

4.      ‘Sacrifice’ – Payper Corleone Ft. Alpha Ojini

5.      ‘Gang Gang’ – AQ and Loose Kaynon

10.  BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)

A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.

1.      Tay Iwar – ‘Utero’

2.      Johnny Drille – ‘Finding Efe’

3.      Nonso Bassey – ‘411’

4.      Funbi – ‘Serenade’

5.      Wurld – ‘Wishes & Butterfly’

11.  BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.

1.      GoodGirl LA – ‘Bless me’

2.      Waje – ‘Udue’

3.      Teni – ‘Uyo Meyo’

4.      Tems – ‘Mr Rebel’

5.      Falana – ‘Repeat’

12.  NEXT RATED

This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.

1.      Rema

2.      Joeboy

3.      Fireboy DML

4.      Victor AD

5.      Lyta

6.      Zlatan

13.  HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION

A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.

1.      Odunsi

2.      Mayorkun

3.      Wurld

4.      Humblesmith

14.  LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.

1.      YCEE – ‘Balance’

2.      Boogey – ‘Implode’

3.      Paybac – ‘Implode’

4.      Ghost – ‘Crown’

5.      Tec – ‘Crown’

6.      AQ – ‘Crown’

15.  BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE

A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.

1.      Erigga – ‘Motivation’

2.      Chinko Ekun – ‘Able God’

3.      Zlatan – ‘Leg Work’

4.      Barry Jhay – ‘Aiye’

5.      Lyta – ‘Time’

16.  BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG

A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.

1.      ‘Cash’ – Lady Donli

2.      ‘Mr Rebel’ – Tems

3.      ‘Finding Efe’ – Johnny Drille

4.      ‘Heya’ – Brymo

5.      ‘Ire’ – Adekunle Gold

17.  ALBUM OF THE YEAR

A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).

1.       About 30 – Adekunle Gold

2.       Outside – Burna Boy

3.      Moral Instruction – Falz

4.      No Bad Songz – Kizz Daniel

18.  ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.

1.      Burna Boy

2.      Wizkid

3.      Davido

4.      Tiwa Savage

5.      Falz

19.  SONG OF THE YEAR

A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.

1.      ‘Ye’ – Burna Boy 

2.      ‘Dumebi’ – Rema

3.      ‘Wetin We Gain’ – Victor AD

4.      ‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid

5.      ‘Case’ – Teni

6.      ‘Leg work’ – Zlatan

7.      ‘Baby’ – Joeboy

8.      ‘Jealous’ – Fireboy DML

20.  AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION

A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.

1.      Master KG – Skeleton Moves (SOUTH AFRICA)

2.      Afro B – Drogba (Joanna) (IVORY COAST)

3.      Sauti Sol – Melanin (KENYA)

4.      King Promise – CCTV (GHANA)

5.      DJ Maphoriza – iWalk Ye Phara (SOUTH AFRICA)

21.  HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE

A voting category to award the fan’s favorite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.

1.      Mr Eazi

2.      Burna Boy

3.      Teni

4.      Fireboy DML

5.      Rema

6.      Joe Boy

7.      Wizkid

8.      Davido

22.  BEST PERFORMER

A non-voting category for the artistes whose stagecraft, showmanship and performance routines are exceptionally conceptualized and executed in the year under review with consideration of live performances.

1.      Falz

2.      Tiwa Savage

3.      Brymo

4.      Yemi Alade

5.      Adekunle Gold

23.  ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:

A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.

1.      Crayon

2.      Buju

3.      Barry Jhay

4.      Oxlade