- The Headies announces 218 nominations ahead of 18th awards in Toronto
- Chichi blasts Phyna over Ashmusy feud, calls her ‘desperate for fame’
- Tennessee Governor moves to rename the Nashville airport after Dolly Parton
- Gaise Baba slams The Headies over the treatment of gospel music
- Tekno reveals Oliver de Coque to be the pioneer of Afrobeat, and not Fela
The Headies announces 218 nominations ahead of 18th awards in Toronto
The Headies has revealed its nominations for the 18th edition of the annual African music awards, with 218 nominations across 35 categories. The ceremony, themed “Africa to the World”, is scheduled to be held on October 25 in Toronto, Canada, and recognises artists whose work made an impact between August 1, 2024 and April 30, 2026.
Fola leads this year’s nominations with 10 nods, including Album of the Year, Next Rated, Songwriter of the Year, and Best Male Artiste, after his debut album CATHARSIS. Omah Lay has eight nominations, while Davido, Mavo, and Wizkid each have seven. Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage lead the female nominees with five nominations, along with breakout star Kunmie, who also has five, including Song of the Year for “Arike”. Adekunle Gold, Odumodublvck, and Shoday have five each. Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You” tops songs with six nominations in categories like Recording of the Year, Best Collaboration, Afrobeats Single, Song of the Year, Music Video, and Viewers’ Choice.
The Next Rated category includes Fido, Fola, Llona, Mavo, and Shoday, while the Rookie of the Year features Amma, Danpapa GTA, FirstKlaz, Kidd Carder, NO11, Priesst, and OG Abbah. Album of the Year nominees are Fola’s CATHARSIS, Omah Lay’s CLARITY OF MIND, Erigga’s G.O.A.T, Wizkid’s MORAYO, Burna Boy’s NO SIGN OF WEAKNESS, Odumodublvck’s THE MACHINE IS COMING, and Tiwa Savage’s THIS ONE IS PERSONAL. The ceremony also showcases regional categories from 16 African countries, as well as categories for International Artiste of the Year and Best Canadian/African Diaspora Artiste. Congolese legend Awilo Longomba will receive the HEADIES HALL OF FAME AWARD, and Cecil Hammond will be honored with the SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD.
Chichi blasts Phyna over Ashmusy feud, calls her ‘desperate for fame’
Big Brother Naija Level Up star Chichi has criticised fellow housemate Phyna over her ongoing clash with influencer Ashmusy. Phyna had accused Ashmusy of trying to ruin a multi-million-naira celebrity boxing deal after allegedly asking organisers to remove her.
Reacting to the dispute, Chichi questioned why brands and people allegedly avoid working with Phyna. She called the BBNaija winner a “brokie” and “desperate for fame”, claiming she was also approached for the boxing deal but turned it down.
Chichi further described Phyna as a “disgrace to the streets”, insisting that growing up on the streets does not excuse bad behaviour. The pair have remained sworn enemies since leaving the reality show and have traded several public jabs over the years.
Tennessee Governor moves to rename the Nashville airport after Dolly Parton
Three days after Dolly Parton’s death, Tennessee officials have revived plans to rename Nashville International Airport after the country music legend, actress and philanthropist. Governor Bill Lee and the airport announced the proposal on Friday.
Lee said the move would honour Parton’s lifelong contributions to Tennessee, including her work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library. Her team has reportedly welcomed the idea and remains open to discussions about the proposed name change.
The proposal was first raised last year after plans emerged to rename the airport after Donald Trump. A petition calling for it to become Dolly Parton International Airport gained thousands of new signatures following the singer’s death.
Gaise Baba slams The Headies over the treatment of gospel music
Gospel singer Gaise Baba has criticised The Headies over what he described as the poor treatment of faith-based artistes. The ‘No Turning Back’ singer said gospel records are often placed in separate categories rather than judged on their artistic quality.
Reflecting on his 2024 nomination, Gaise Baba recalled that the Inspirational Music award was not publicly announced or presented on stage. He described this as disrespectful to the creatives involved and urged organisers to give every nominated category proper recognition.
He also questioned why gospel songs are treated differently from mainstream music, arguing that musical craft should matter more than subject matter. In July, Gaise Baba called for gospel music to be reclassified, saying it should be viewed as a message rather than a distinct genre.
Tekno reveals Oliver de Coque to be the pioneer of Afrobeats, and not Fela
Nigerian singer Tekno has challenged the belief that late music icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was the sole creator of Afrobeats. Speaking on Hot 97 TV, he acknowledged Fela’s major role in taking the sound to the world but said other African musicians also shaped its development.
The ‘Rara’ hitmaker, who has cited Fela as an inspiration, particularly on his 2015 song, said musicians from eastern Nigeria deserve more recognition. He specifically mentioned Highlife legend Oliver de Coque, whose music influenced him while growing up in the East.
Tekno argued that Fela receives much of the credit partly because he travelled widely and performed internationally with his band. However, he insisted that several other legends contributed to the sound and should not be forgotten when discussing Afrobeats’ origins.
