Burna Boy was nominated for the following awards: African Artist of the Year, Best Male Artist, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best R&B Single, Songwriter of the Year, and Best Recording of the Year. He also garnered nods for Digital Artist of the Year and Best Male Artist. Asake received accolades for his work in the categories of Best Street-Hop Artiste, Headies’ Viewers’ Choice, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Next Rated, Best Male Artiste, Digital Artiste of the Year, and others.
The international awards ceremony, which honours performers for their work from January 2022 to March 2023, nominated artists from all over the continent with special honour given to musical legends like Sound Sultan, who was regarded as the pioneer of Nigerian hip hop.
Here’s the full list of nominees:
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
African Artiste Of The Year
Rema (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Marwa Loud (Morocco)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Next Rated
Young Jonn
Seyi Vibez
Asake
Victony
Best Male Artiste
Asake
Rema
Kizz Daniel
Ruger
Omah Lay
Burna Boy
Best Female Artiste
Tems
Tiwa Savage
Ayra Starr
Song Of The Year
Rema – Calm Down
Burna Boy – Last Last
Oxlade – Ku Lo Sa
Kizz Daniel & Tekno – Buga
Pheelz Ft BNXN – Finesse
Asake Ft Burna Boy – Sungba Remix
Best Rap Album
Payper Corleone – Fly Talk Only
Show Dem Camp – Palmwine Music Vol.3
Blaqbonez – Young Preacher
Psycho YP – YPSN23
Vector – Teslim: The Energy Still Lives In Me
Jeriq – Billion Dollar Dream
Album Of The Year
Burna Boy – Love Damini
Asake – Mr Money With The Vibe
Rema – Rave & Roses
Omah Lay – Boy Alone
Victony – Outlaw
Davido – Timeless
Best Alternative Album
Basketmouth – Horoscopes
BOJ – Gbagada Express
Obongjayar – Some Nights I Dream Of Doors
Cruel Santino – Subaru Boys: Final Heaven
Somadina – Heart Of The Heavenly Undeniable
Native Sound System – Native World
Best R&B Album
Johnny Drille – Home
Chike – The Brother’s Keeper
Praiz – Reckless
Waje – Waje 2.0
Dami Oniru – Matter Of Time
Simi – To Be Honest (TBH)
Best South African Artiste Of The Year
AKA
Nasty C
Costa Titch
Uncle Waffles
Focalistic
DJ Tarico (Mozambique)
Best Central African Artiste Of The Year
Fally Ipupa (Congo)
Gaz Mawete (Congo)
Matias Damasio (Angola)
Emma’A (Gabon)
Libianca (Cameroon)
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 honeypot (Morocco)
Soolking (Algeria)
Best West African Artiste
Gyakie (Ghana)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
The Therapist (Liberia)
Camidoh (Ghana)
Headies’ Viewer’s Choice
Ruger – Asiwaju
Victony & Tempoe – Soweto
Fireboy DML & Asake – Bandana
Ayra Starr – Rush
Asake – Terminator
Mavins – Overloading (Overdose)
Oxlade – Ku Lo Sa
Crayon – Ijo Laba Laba
Kizz Daniel & Tekno – Buga
Pheelz & Davido – Electricity
Afrobeats Single Of The Year
Burna Boy – Last Last
Ayra Starr – Rush
Kizz Daniel Ft Tekno – Buga
Pheelz Ft BNXN – Finesse
Spyro – Who’s Your Guy
Ruger – Asiwaju
Best Street-Hop Artiste
Rexxie ft Naira Marley & Skiibi – Abracadabra
Seyi Vibez – Chance
Asake – Joha
Zlatan ft Young Jonn – Astalavista
Poco Lee & HotKid – Otilo
Mohbad – Peace
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
Pheelz Ft Davido – Electricity
Wande Coal Ft Olamide – Kpe Paso
Best Music Video Director
Blaqbonez & Perliks – Back In Uni
TG Omori – PBUY (Asake)
Director Pink – Spell Remix (Chike & Oxlade)
Director K – Common Person (Burna Boy)
TG Omori – Bandana (Fireboy & Asake)
Director K – Calm Down (Rema)
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 Vocal Performance (Female)
Niniola – Memories
Simi – Loyal
Waje – In Between
Liya – Adua Remix
Preye – Red Wine
Dami Oniru – Just 4 U
Best Alternative Song
Wizard Chan – Earth Song
Cruel Santino – Final Champion
Basketmouth Ft The Cavemen – The Traveller
Boj Ft Molly & Melissa – In A Loop
Flavour – Game Changer
Obongjayar – Tinko Tinko
Best Rap Single
Reminisce – Hustle
Ladipoe – Big Energy
Blaqbonez – Back In Uni
Psycho YP – Bando Diaries
Odumodublvck – Declan Rice
Jeriq Ft Phyno – My Bro
Best R&B Single
Burna Boy ft Ed Sheeran – For My Hand
Ckay – Mmadu
Dami Oniru – Just 4 U
Preye – Red Wine
Chike Ft Flavour – Hard To Find
Simi Ft Fave – Loyal
Songwriter Of The Year
Simi – Loyal
Omah Lay – I’m Mess
Tems – Lift Me Up
Burna Boy – Alone
BNXN – In My Mind
Wizard Chan – Earth Song
Producer Of The Year
Sungba Remix – Magicsticks
Electricity – Pheelz Ft Davido
Calm Down – Andre Vibez & London
Soweto – Tempoe
Kpe Kpaso – Kel-P
Rexxie – Abracadabra
International Artiste Of The Year
Drake
Future
Selena Gomez
Don Toliver
Ed Sheeran
Special Recognition
Sound Sultan
Digital Artiste Of The Year
Burna Boy
Ayra Starr
Rema
Omah Lay
Kizz Daniel
Asake
Best Inspirational Song
Davido ft Sunday Service Choir – Stand Strong
Limoblaze, Lecrae & Happi Music – Jireh
Victor Thompson & Ehis ‘D’ Greatest – This Year
Neon Adejo – Eze Ebube
Nathaniel Bassey & Mercy Chinwo – Tobechukwu
Victoria Orenze – I Get Backing
Hall Of Fame
Youssou N’Dour
International Artiste Recognition
Sean ‘Love’ Combs
Best Recording Of The Year
Burna Boy – Alone
Victony & Tempoe – Soweto
Omah Lay – I’m Mess
Oxlade – Ku Lo Sa
Davido Ft Sunday Service Choir – Stand Strong
Tems – No Woman No Cry
Rookie Of The Year
Eltee Skhillz
Bloody Civilian
Bayanni
Odumodublvck
Guchi
Khaid
