On February 21, 2021, Nigeria’s premier music award show held via virtual and live media due to COVID-19 restrictions.
A lot of the show had been pre-recorded and the live event, featuring nominees held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The red carpet began at 5pm while the main event belatedly commenced around 9:50 pm.
The year-in-review is between July 2019 and September 2020. It will be the 14th edition of an award heralded by Ayo Animashaun and his company, HipHop World. Fireboy led the way with five wins including Album of The Year for his sophomore album, Apollo while Wizkid won two awards including Artist of The Year.
The show was attended by a lot of Nigerian celebrities like Wizkid, 2baba, Sound Sultan, Fireboy, Idia Aisien, AY, AQ, iLLBliss, Bad Boy Timz, Omah Lay, Mayorkun and more while Davido, Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage weren’t seen amongst the crowd.
This year saw winners in new categories; Songwriter of The Year and Best Alternative Album. The hosts were Bovi and Nancy Isime.
Find the full list of winners below;
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.
OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO
SMILE – WIZKID FEAT. HER
WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY
DREAMER – FIREBOY DML
GHOST TOWN – WURLD
BEST POP SINGLE
A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).
BILLIONAIRE – TENI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI.
LADY – REMA
FEM – DAVIDO
JORO – WIZKID
SKELETUN – TEKNO
SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
FEM – DAVIDO
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
JORO – WIZKID
MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY
DUDUKE – SIMI
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI
SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE
KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY
SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD
BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.
GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ
ILLY CHAPO X – ILLBLISS
YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP
CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO
THE ERIGMA II – ERIGGA
BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
- LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML
- I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD
- KING – PRAIZ
- BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
- CELIA – TIWA SAVAGE
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
YELLOW – BRYMO
LUCID – ASA
THE LIGHT – BEZ
PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI
ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN
BEST POP ALBUM
A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO
WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
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.
- ELI – FIREBOY DML BY CLARENCE PETERS
- 1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K
- SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI
- BILLIONAIRE – TENI BY TG OMORI
- SHEKERE – YEMI ALADE BY OVIE ETSEYATSE
BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ
DUDUKE – SIMI
MAD – SARZ & WURLD
BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY
TATTOO – FIREBOY DML
DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE
BEST COLLABORATION
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD
DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN
TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE
GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ
BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
OGB4IG – REMINISCE
SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ
COUNTRY – ILLBLISS
GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM
BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS
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.
WURLD – GHOST TOWN
CHIKE – FORGIVE
PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY
COHBAMS – PLENTI
NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE
JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL
LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE
NINIOLA – ADDICTED
J-DESS – CHI EFO
YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI
IMANSE – AJALA
NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.
TEMS
OMAH LAY
OXLADE
BELLA SHMURDA
HEADIES 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.
VICTOR AD
FIREBOY DML
JOEBOY
TENI
REMA
CHIKE
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.
AQ – EUNICE
BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2
MI ABAGA – TRINITY
ILLBLISS – COUNTRY
PHENOM – GET THE INFO
PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE
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.
NAIRA MARLEY & YOUNG JOHN – MAFO
MAYORKUN – GENG
REMINISCE FEAT. OLAMIDE & NAIRA MARLEY – INSTAGRAM
RUDEBOY – AUDIO MONEY
IVD & ZLATAN – BOLANLE
OLAMIDE – PAWON
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.
CORNER – LADY DONLY FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN
I WONDER – MOELOGO
BITTER – DEENA ADE
ANITA – THE CAVEMEN
MONEY DEVOTION – GBASKY
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN – OLU
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).
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
YELLOW – BRYMO
BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.
BURNA BOY
DAVIDO
WIZKID
MAYORKUN
TIWA SAVAGE
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.
MASTER KG
KUAMI EUGENE
SAUTI SOL
SHAATA WALE
STONEBWOY
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.
DAVIDO
OMAH LAY
BURNA BOY
FALZ
FIREBOY DML
MAYORKUN
DJ NEPTUNE
WIZKID
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.
OLAKIRA
ALPHA P
JAMOPYPER
ZINOLEESKY
BAD BOY TIMZ
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.
SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)
ADEDAMOLA ADEFOLAHAN (FIREBOY DML – DREAMER)
DAMINI OGULU (BURNA BOY – WAY TOO BIG)
STANLEY OMAH DIDIA (OMAH LAY – BAD INFLUENCE)
SADIQ ONIFADE (WURLD – GHOST TOWN
ADEKUNLE KOSOKO (1 MILLION – DAVIDO)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM
TIMAYA
HALL OF FAME:
A special recognition to an individual for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
KING SUNNY ADE
MOTOLANI ALAKE
