FOLA Leads as Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy Battle for 2026 Headies Glory

Nigeria’s biggest music stars will go head-to-head with a fast-rising generation of artistes at the 18th Headies Awards, after organisers unveiled a nomination list that puts FOLA at the top while giving established stars including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Rema, Tems and Ayra Starr prominent positions.

The nominations cover music released between August 1, 2024, and April 30, 2026, with the awards scheduled for October 25 in Toronto, Canada, under the theme “Africa to the World.” The Headies says the eligibility period covered singles, albums, EPs and music videos released and distributed through digital streaming platforms.

The biggest surprise in the nominations is the strength of FOLA’s showing. The emerging singer leads the field with 10 nominations, including Album of the Year for Catharsis, Next Rated, Best Male Artiste, Digital Artiste of the Year, Best R&B Album and Best Recording of the Year. His song “You” also features in several major categories.

Omah Lay follows with eight nominations, while Wizkid and Mavo each have seven. Davido and Asake are also among the leading contenders, with their work appearing across several of the ceremony's major categories. The exact nomination totals reported by some publications vary, but the Headies' official nominee page confirms the breadth of the competition and the eligible categories.

Wizkid remains one of the most prominent names on the ballot. His Morayo album is nominated for both Album of the Year and Afrobeats Album of the Year, while “Jogodo”, his collaboration with Asake, is in contention for Afrobeats Single of the Year and Viewers’ Choice. “MMS”, another Wizkid collaboration with Asake, is also among the Song of the Year contenders.

Davido also has a strong presence, particularly through his latest project 5ive and his collaboration with Omah Lay on “With You”. The song is nominated for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Recording of the Year, Best Collaboration and Viewers’ Choice, making it one of the most visible tracks on this year's ballot.

Burna Boy is competing in some of the night's biggest races, including Best Male Artiste, Album of the Year and Afrobeats Album of the Year for No Sign of Weakness. His “Bundle by Bundle” is also nominated for Afrobeats Single of the Year. Rema, meanwhile, is in the Best Male Artiste field and has “Fun” competing for Afrobeats Single of the Year, while “Baby (Is It a Crime)” earns a Best Recording nomination.

The female categories are equally competitive. Ayra Starr, Tems, Tiwa Savage, Teni, Qing Madi and Sewa are nominated for Best Female Artiste, with Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage among the most nominated women at five nods apiece. Ayra Starr's “Hot Body” is also in the Song of the Year and Viewers’ Choice races, while Tems' Love Is a Kingdom competes for Best R&B Album and “What You Need” is nominated for Best R&B Single.

One of the year's most closely watched contests will be Best Male Artiste, where FOLA, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Rema, Davido-associated contenders and other major names make up a field that reflects the changing balance between Nigerian music's established superstars and its newer generation. The Best Female Artiste category similarly brings together established figures and younger acts, making the awards less predictable than a simple battle between the industry's biggest names.

The Headies has also widened the geographical scope of its nominations. Alongside Nigerian categories are awards for artistes from West, East, North and Central Africa, as well as a new African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste category. The international category recognises a non-African artiste whose work has contributed to the global growth of Afrobeats.

The Toronto setting is part of that broader strategy. The 18th edition is being positioned not simply as another Nigerian awards night abroad, but as an international showcase for African music and culture. Organisers have tied the ceremony to a wider programme in Toronto, including trade and creative-industry engagements, while Nigerian officials have also described the event as an opportunity to strengthen cultural and economic links between Nigeria and Canada.

The nomination list ultimately tells two stories about Nigerian music at once. The first is the enduring influence of stars such as Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tems, Rema and Ayra Starr. The second is the speed at which newer acts such as FOLA, Mavo and others are moving into spaces once dominated almost entirely by established superstars. That tension between legacy and the next wave could make the 18th Headies one of the more closely watched editions in recent years.

With the ceremony moving to Toronto under the banner “Africa to the World,” the stakes extend beyond who takes home the trophies. The Headies is increasingly functioning as a showcase for how far Nigerian and African music has travelled and how much further its artists, labels and creative businesses can go. The real significance of this year's nominations may therefore lie not only in the winners announced in October, but in the generation of artists now being positioned to carry Africa's sound into its next global chapter.