Wizkid, Fireboy, Tems, Ladipoe And Our Other Projected Winners For The 15th Headies Music Awards
The 15th Headies Music Awards will take place in the United States. Since its inception, it has become Nigeria’s premier music awards ceremony, its equivalent of the Grammys. The event scheduled to take place on September 4th at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA is expected to have the attendance of a-listers like, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, FireBoyDML, and Rema, among others.
It is evident, that the theme of this year’s ceremony is projecting Afrobeats/Nigerian music to the world, and from its nominations, we project that Nigerian songs that have managed to gain varying degrees of international success are the favourites to win their categories.
Here are our predicted winners below:
Rookie of the Year
AV
Projected Winner: Fave
Magixx
Ugoccie
While Magixx has had some great records, Fave is the runaway winner here, anything short of this will be an upset
Best Recording of the Year
“Celebrate Me” – Patoranking
Projected Winner: “Essence” – Wizkid ft. Tems
“Joy” – Falana
“Loving Is Harder” – Johnny Drille
“Meji Meji” – Brymo
“Somebody’s Son’ – Tiwa Savage ft. Brandy
Essence will win this quite easily. Somebody’s Son should have been nominated in the gospel category
Producer of the Year
Beats By Jayy – “Golden” (A-Q)
Blaise Beatz – “Sinner” (Adekunle Gold Ft. Lucky Daye)
Niphkeys – “Feel Good” (Mohbad)
P Priime – “Ozumba Mbadiwe” (Reekado Banks)
Pheelz – “High” (Adekunle Gold ft. Davido)
Projected Winner: Sarz – “Monalisa” (Lojay & Sarz)
One of the most competitive categories, but few songs have been bigger than Monalisa this decade, so we go with Sarz
Songwriter of the Year
Adekunle Gold – “Sinner”
Ajebo Hustlers – “Loyalty”
Brymo – “Meji Meji”
Falana – “Joy”
Fireboy DML – “Peru”
Projected Winner: Omah Lay – “Understand”
The best written song here is Sinner, however we predict an Omah Lay win.
Best R&B Single
“Baby Riddim” – Fave
“Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr ft. CKay
Projected Winner: “Essence” – Wizkid ft. Tems
“Running (To You)” – Chike ft. Simi
“Promise” – Niniola
“Sinner” – Adekunle Gold ft. Luck Daye
Another win for Essence here
Best Rap Single
“Breathe” – A-Q ft Chike
Projected Winner: “Crown of Clay” – Vector & MI Abaga ft. Pheelz
“Early Momo” – Vector ft. Goodgirl LA
“Feeling” – Ladipoe ft. Bnxn
“Tycoon” – Show Dem Camp ft. Reminisce & Mojo
“Loading” – Olamide ft. Bad Boy Timz
While A-Q has of recent been a “headies baby” we expect M.I and Vector to go away with this one
Best Alternative Song
“Doings” – Flavour
“Free Your Mind” – Made Kuti
“Gonto’ – Ibejii
“Hustle” – Basketmouth, The Cavemen, Bez, Dice Ailes
Projected Winner: “Meji Meji’ – Brymo
“Selense” – The Cavemen
Another hotly contested category, Brymo may just come home with this.
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Ayra Starr – “Toxic’
Liya – “Alari”
Niniola – “6th Heaven”
Simi – “Running (To You)”
Projected Winner: Tems – “Essence”
Waje – “Last Time”
We predict a third win for Essence here. Special shoutout to Liya on Alari though.
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Brymo – “Meji Meji”
Projected Winner: Johnny Drille – “Loving Is Harder”
Oxlade – “Ojuju”
Ric Hassani – “When I’m Gone”
Tay Iwar – “Peaking”
We expect Johnny Drille to claim this one.
Lyricist on the Roll
Projected Winner: A-Q – “The Last Cypher”
Blaqbonez – “The Last Cypher”
Jesse Jagz – “Vipers”
Ladipoe – “Providence”
Payper Corleone – “In Don We Trust”
Vector – “Crown of Clay”
Anybody winning this besides A-Q on the Last Cypher is robbery.
Best Music Video
Projected Winner: “Champion” – (Fireboy DML ft. D Smoke) – Directed by TG Omori
“Ginger” – (Wizkid ft. Burna Boy) – Directed by Meji Alabi
“Roju” – (Chike) – Directed by Pink
“Rain” – (Yemi Alade ft. Mzansi Youth Choir) – Directed by Ovie Etseyatse
“Bling” – (Blaqbonez ft. Amaarae & Bnxn) – Directed by Tg Omori
“Running” – (Ladipoe ft. Fireboy DML) – Directed by Director K
Quite the underwhelming stack here, but we predict Fireboy’s Champion winning.
Best Collaboration
“Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr ft. CKay
“Bling” – Blaqbonez ft. Amaarae & Bnxn
“Early Momo” – Vector ft. Goodgirl La
“Essence” – Wizkid ft. Tems
Projected Winner: “Feeling” – Ladipoe ft. Bnxn
“Running (To You)” – Chike ft. Simi
Bold prediction here, Feeling by Ladipoe and Bnxn may just upset Essence.
Best Street-Hop Artist
Projected Winner: Bella Shmurda – “Cash App” ft. Zlatan & Lincoln
Rexxie & Mohbad – “KPK”
Mohbad – “Feel Good”
Naira Marley – “Koleyewon”
Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano”
We predict a Bella Shmurda win, although all songs in this category are deserving
Best Afrobeats Single of the Year
“Bloody Samaritan” – Ayra Starr
“Bounce” – Ruger
“High” – Adekunle Gold ft. Davido
“Monalisa” – Lojay & Sarz
“Ozumba Mbadiwe” – Reekado Banks
Projected Winner: “Peru” – Fireboy DML
Headies’ Viewer’s Choice
Ayra Starr – “Bloody Samaritan”
Projected Winner: Fireboy DML – “Peru”
Joeboy – “Sip”
Lojay & Sarz – “Monalisa”
Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano”
Olamide ft. Omah Lay – “Infinity”
Rema – “Soundgasm”
Wizkid ft. Tems – “Essence”
Best Afrobeats Album
19 And Dangerous – Ayra Starr
A Better Time – Davido
Barnabas – Kizz Daniel
Projected Winner: Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition) – Wizkid
Kpos Lifestyle – Ajebo Hustlers
Wondaland – Teni
Best R&B Album
Before We Fall Asleep – Johnny Drille
If Orange Was A Place – Tems
Love Deep High Life – Omawumi
Rising – Falana
The Prince I Became – Ric Hassani
Projected Winner: Water And Garri – Tiwa Savage
Best Alternative Album
9: Esan – Brymo
Intermission – Ibejii
Projected Winner: Legacy + – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
Love And Highlife – The Cavemen
P.S. Thank You For Waiting – Wavy The Creator
Yabasi – Basketmouth
We expect the Grammy nominated album, Legacy by Made and Femi Kuti to win this category
Best Rap Album
Carpe Diem – Olamide
Clone Wars Vol. 5 – The **Algorhythm – Show Dem Camp
Golden – A-Q
Mafia Culture, Vol. 2.0 – Idowest
Projected Winner: Providence – Ladipoe
Sex Over Love – Blaqbonez
Ordinarily A-Q should win this category, but we see Ladipoe running with it
Album of the Year
9: Esan – Brymo
19 & Dangerous – Ayra Starr
Carpe Diem – Olamide
Legacy + – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
Projected Winner: Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition) – Wizkid
Yabasi – Basketmouth
Another win for Essence here.
Song of the Year
“Celebrate Me” – Patoranking
“Doings” – Flavour ft. Phyno
Projected Winner: “Essence” – Wizkid ft. Tems
“High” – Adekunle Gold ft. Davido
“Monalisa” – Lojay & Sarz
“Peru” – Fireboy DML
Essence wins here again I am afraid.
Best Female Artist
Simi
Projected Winner: Tems
Tiwa Savage
Teni
Niniola
This is almost a no brainer category, no female artiste has had a bigger year than Tems.
Best Male Artist
Adekunle Gold
Burna Boy
Davido
Flavour
Olamide
Projected Winner: Wizkid
While personally, I would go for Burna Boy, Wizkid is equally deserving and has the privilege of being a “headies baby”.
Next Rated
Ayra Starr
Projected Winner: Bnxn
Lojay
Ruger
Zinoleesky
This is the most hotly contested category this year. All nominees are deserving, BNXN, however, has been the most high profiled of all nominees this past year. Ayra Starr may just sneak up on him however.
