The 2026 Headies Awards have revealed a competitive field, with several of Nigeria’s biggest music stars picking up multiple nominations across some of the ceremony’s major categories.
FOLA leads the pack with an impressive 10 nominations, putting the fast-rising singer ahead of some of the country’s most established names. Wizkid and Omah Lay follow with seven nominations each, while Asake, Davido, and Mavo each earned six.
The nominations reflect the range of artists making an impact across Afrobeats, R&B, rap and the wider Nigerian music scene. Here is a closer look at the artists who picked up the most nods this year.
FOLA — 10 Nominations
FOLA emerges as the most-nominated artist at the 2026 Headies, earning recognition across songwriting, vocals, Afrobeats, R&B and major award categories.
- Song of the Year — You
- Afrobeats Single of the Year — You
- Best Recording of the Year — You
- Album of the Year — Catharsis
- Best R&B Album — Catharsis
- Best R&B Single — You
- Best Vocal Performance (Male) — You
- Songwriter of the Year — You
- Digital Artiste of the Year
- Next Rated
MEET FOLA, HE IS THE MOST NOMINATED ARTIST AT THE 2026 HEADIES
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/zjpDLh5LkP
— FOLA (@Folapondis) August 25, 2026
Wizkid — 7 Nominations
Wizkid remains firmly in the mix, collecting seven nominations spanning major song, album, artist, and digital categories.
- Song of the Year — MMS
- Afrobeats Single of the Year — Jogodo
- Album of the Year — Morayo
- Afrobeats Album of the Year — Morayo
- Best Male Artiste
- Digital Artiste of the Year
- Viewers’ Choice
Omah Lay — 7 Nominations
Omah Lay matches Wizkid’s total with seven nominations, with With You featuring prominently across several categories.
- Song of the Year — With You
- Afrobeats Single of the Year — With You
- Best Recording of the Year — With You
- Best Collaboration — With You
- Best R&B Single — With You
- Best Male Artiste
- Digital Artiste of the Year
Asake — 6 Nominations
Asake earns six nominations, including recognition for his music, live performance, and digital presence.
- Song of the Year — MMS
- Afrobeats Single of the Year — Jogodo
- Best Performer (Live) — Red Bull Symphonic
- Best Male Artiste
- Digital Artiste of the Year
- Viewers’ Choice
Asake earns multiple nominations at the 18th Headies! 🏆🔥
🏆 Best Performer (Live)
🏆 Headies Viewers’ Choice
🏆 Digital Artiste of the Year
🏆 Best Male Artiste
🏆 Song of the Year (MMS w:/ Wizkid & 99 w:/ Olamide)
🏆 Best Collaboration (“99”)
🏆 Afrobeats Single of the Year… pic.twitter.com/UH751egekf— GIRAN REPUBLIC (@giran_republic) August 26, 2026
Davido — 6 Nominations
Davido also lands six nominations, with his collaboration With You featuring across several major categories.
- Song of the Year — With You
- Afrobeats Single of the Year — With You
- Best Recording of the Year — With You
- Best Collaboration — With You
- Music Video of the Year — With You
- Digital Artiste of the Year
Mavo — 6 Nominations
Mavo rounds out the list with six nominations, including appearances in the Next Rated, rap and collaboration categories.
- Best Male Artiste
- Next Rated
- Digital Artiste of the Year
- Best Rap Single — Wuse Tu
- Best Collaboration — Body (Danz)
- Best Collaboration — Escaladizzy
THE 18TH HEADIES AWARDS — MAVO 🏆
Mavo earns 6+ nominations across major categories:
• Best Male Artist
• Digital Artist of the Year
• Headies Viewers’ Choice
• Next Rated
• Best Collaboration — Mavo x CKay
• Best Collaboration — Mavo x WAVE$TARAdditional Contributions:… pic.twitter.com/YRY9hXNAuX
— Kilogbede Records (@KilogbedeLTD) August 25, 2026
With the ceremony scheduled to be held in Canada in October, the race is shaping up to be an interesting one. FOLA currently has the numbers advantage, but with Wizkid, Omah Lay, Asake, Davido, and Mavo all competing across major categories, there is still plenty to play for before the winners are announced.
