The 18th Headies Nominees Are Here – FOLA Leads the Pack as Afrobeats Heads to Toronto

The wait is over. The official nominees for the 18th Headies Awards have dropped, and the race is already heating up. Rising star FOLA tops the list with an impressive 10 nominations, while heavyweights Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Omah Lay, Asake and Ayra Starr also feature strongly across the major categories.

This year’s awards celebrate music released between 1 August 2024 and 30 April 2026. The ceremony takes place in Toronto, Canada on 23 October 2026 under the theme “Africa to the World.”

Here are the nominees in the top categories:

Next Rated
Fido · FOLA · Llona · Mavo · Shoday

Best Male Artiste
Adekunle Gold · Asake · FOLA · Mavo · Rema · Wizkid · Burna Boy

Best Female Artiste
Ayra Starr · Qing Madi · Sewa · Tems · Teni · Tiwa Savage

Song of the Year
“Arike” — Kunmie
“Hey Jago” — Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago
“Hot Body” — Ayra Starr
“Joy Is Coming” — Fido
“MMS” — Asake & Wizkid
“With You” — Davido & Omah Lay

Afrobeats Single of the Year
“Fun” — Rema
“Jogodo” — Asake & Wizkid
“Laho” — Shallipopi
“With You” — Davido & Omah Lay
“you” — FOLA
“Bundle by Bundle” — Burna Boy

Afrobeats Album of the Year
5ive — Davido
Captain — BNXN
Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
Fuji — Adekunle Gold
Morayo — Wizkid
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy

Album of the Year
Morayo — Wizkid
Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
Catharsis — FOLA
This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
G.O.A.T — Erigga
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
The Machine Is Coming — Odumodublvck

Best Recording of the Year
“Arike” — Kunmie
“How Do You?” — Amaeya
“Baby (Is It a Crime)” — Rema
“Coping Mechanism” — Omah Lay ft. Elmah
“With You” — Davido & Omah Lay
“you” — FOLA

Best Collaboration
CKay ft. Mavo — “Body (Danz)”
Mavo ft. WAVE$TAR — “Escaladizzy”
Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — “Hey Jago”
FOLA ft. Kizz Daniel — “Lost”
Odumodublvck ft. Victony — “Pity This Boy”
Davido ft. Omah Lay — “With You”
Mr Eazi & King Promise — “See What We’ve Done”
Chief Priest ft. Spyki — “Finally”

Digital Artiste of the Year
Asake · Ayra Starr · BNXN · Chella · FOLA · Mavo · Seyi Vibez · Wizkid

Headies Viewers’ Choice
Ayra Starr — “Hot Body”
Davido — “With You” ft. Omah Lay
Rema — “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
FOLA — “you”
Wizkid — “Jogodo” with Asake
Kunmie — “Arike”
Mavo — “Escaladizzy” ft. WAVE$TAR

Best R&B Album
Before We Became Strangers — Kunmie
Catharsis — FOLA
I Am the Blueprint — Qing Madi
Love Is a Kingdom — Tems
Reflection Station — Tay Iwar
This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage

Other notable categories include Best Rap Album (led by projects from Erigga, Blaqbonez and Odumodublvck), Best Street-Hop Artiste, Producer of the Year, and regional awards for West, East, North and Central African artists.

The stage is set for one of the most competitive Headies nights in recent years. With FOLA’s breakthrough run, the veteran heavyweights still dominating key races, and exciting new voices in Next Rated, Toronto is about to witness a night of pure Afrobeats excellence.

Who are you rooting for? The conversation starts now.