THE HEADIES 2025: A TRIUMPHANT HOMECOMING CELEBRATING AFRICA’S BRIGHTEST STARS
The 17th edition of the Headies Awards, one of the country's most prestigious music events, was held in Lagos, Nigeria. The event marked a long-awaited return to Nigeria after two consecutive years in the United States, where the 2022 and 2023 editions were held in Atlanta, Georgia.
This return gave rise to the theme "Back to Base."Among the artists in attendance were Shallipoppi, Chike, Juma Jux, Yemi Alade, and Qing Madi.
Event organizer Ayo Animashaun announced that two editions would be held this year to restore the awards' regular schedule.
This edition featured 30 categories, with Ayra Starr and Odumodublvck leading the way, each receiving eight nominations. They were followed by Tems and Asake with six nominations, and Shallipopi with five. Rema, meanwhile, earned his first producer nomination for his track "HEHEHE" from the album HEIS, a collaboration with Producer X, CUBEATZ, DEATZ and KLIMPERBOY.
Photo Credits : Instagram : Shallipopi, Asake, Tems, Davido
17th Headies Awards Winners Full List 2025
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
- ZERRY DL (WINNER)
- TAVES
- KAESTYLE
- LLONA
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- TEMS – BURNING - (WINNER)
- DIFFERENT PATTERN - SEYI VIBEZ
- HIGHER - BURNA BOY
- LAST HEARTBREAK SONG - AYRA STARR & GIVEON
- BILLIONS - SARZ FEATURING LOJAY
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- SIMISOLA KOSOKO - STRANGER (SIMI)
- CHIMAMANDA PEARL CHUKWUMA - VISION (QING MADI) - (WINNER)
- MICHAEL AJUMA ATTAH - CAN'T BREATHE (LLONA)
- EMOSEH KHAMOFU - FAMILY MEETING (BLOODY CIVILIAN)
- FUAYEFIKA MAXWELL - STAGES OF LIFE (WIZARD CHAN)
BEST R&B SINGLE
- QING MADI – VISION
- JOHNNY DRILLE - FOR YOU
- SIMI – STRANGER
- TEMS – BURNING
- AYRA STARR - LAST HEARTBREAK SONG FT. GIVEON
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
- SARZ – HAPPINESS
- LONDON – OZEBA - (WINNER)
- MAGICSTICKS – BASQUIAT
- REMA/PRODUCER X/CUBEATZ/DEATZ/KLIMPERBOY – HEHEHE
- DIBS - DIFFERENT PATTERN
BEST RAP SINGLE
- CAST FEAT ODUMODUBLVCK – SHALLIPOPI
- BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR FEAT BLOODY CIVILIAN & WALE – ODUMODUBLVCK
- HALLELUJAH - LADIPOE, ROZZZ & MORRELO
- CANADA - MAGNITO
- IJE NWOKE - JERIQ
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
- AYRA STARR - LAST HEARTBREAK SONG
- NINIOLA - LEVEL
- SIMI – STRANGER
- LIYA – I'M DONE - (WINNER)
- TOMORROW - YEMI ALADE
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
- LOJAY – BILLIONS - (WINNER)
- OMAH LAY - MOVING
- ANENDLESSOCEAN – GRATITUDE
- JOHNNY DRILLE - FOR YOU
- TIMI DAKOLO - KE NA KE SO
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- CHARM - REMA (REMA X PERLIKS X FOLARIN OLUDARE)
- METAVERSE - OLAMIDE (JYDE AJALA)
- LIKE ICE SPICE - BLAQBONEZ (PERLIKS & EMEKA SHINE SHINE)
- OJAPIANO - KCEE (MATTMAX)
- EGWU - CHIKE & MOHBAD (DIRECTOR PINK) - (WINNER)
- SHOWA - KIZZ DANIEL (TG OMORI)
- NA MONEY – DAVIDO FT. CAVEMEN, ANGELIQUE KIDJO (DAMMY TWITCH)
BEST COLLABORATION
- EMOTIONS - TIWA SAVAGE FEAT. ASA
- BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR - ODUMODUBLVCK, BLOODY CIVILIAN, AND WALE
- CAST - SHALLIPOPI FT ODUMODUBLVCK
- EGWU - CHIKE AND MOHBAD
- OLE - QING MADI AND BNXN
- TWE TWE REMIX – KIZZ DANIEL AND DAVIDO
- IDK – WIZKID FT. ZLATAN
BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
- SEYI VIBEZ – "DIFFERENT PATTERNS
- AYO MAFF – DEALER (FT. FIREBOY DML)
- SHALLIPOPI – CAST (FT. ODUMODUBLVCK)
- ZHUS JDO – JOHNBULL
- MOHBAD – ASK ABOUT ME - (WINNER)
AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR
- BIG BIG THINGS - YOUNG JONN FT. KIZZ DANIEL AND SEYI VIBEZ
- TWE TWE REMIX - KIZZ DANIEL
- EGWU FEAT. MOHBAD – CHIKE
- REMEMBER – ASAKE
- OGECHI REMIX - HYCE, BOYPEE, AND BROWN JOEL FT. DAVIDO
- BIG BALLER – FLAVOR - (WINNER)
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
- MOGADISHU - A-Q
- CHOCOLATE CITY CYPHER - M.I ABAGA
- CHOCOLATE CITY CYPHER – BLAQBONEZ
- HALLELUJAH – LADIPOE
- EFELEME - ALPHA OJINI
BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE
- GRATITUDE – ANENDLESSOCEAN
- WORTHY OF MY PRAISE - DUNSIN OYEKAN FT. LAWRENCE OYOR
- GOOD GOD 2 - LIMOBLAZE FT. NAOMI RAINE
- PARTICULARLY - GAISE BABA FT. TOPE ALABI
- YOU DO THIS ONE - MERCY CHINWO - (WINNER)
HEADIES' VIEWERS' CHOICE
- BIG BIG THINGS FT. KIZZ DANIEL AND SEYI VIBEZ - YOUNG JONN
- OGECHI REMIX FT. DAVIDO - HYCE, BOYPEE, AND BROWN JOEL
- EGWU - CHIKE & MOHBAD - (WINNER)
- SHOWA - KIZZ DANIEL
- DIFFERENT PATTERN - SEYI VIBEZ
- OZEBA – REMA
- LOVE ME JEJE – TEMS
- CAST FT. ODUMODUBLVCK – SHALLIPOPI
- DEALER FT. FIREBOY DML - AYO MAFF
- BIG BALLER - FLAVOUR
BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)
- KING PROMISE (GHANA)
- HIMRA (IVORY COAST) - (WINNER)
- JOSEY (IVORY COAST)
- TOOFAN (TOGO)
BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- BIEN (KENYA)
- DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
- JUMA JUX (TANZANIA) - (WINNER)
- BRUCE MELODIE (RWANDA)
- AZAWI (UGANDA)
BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- MOHAMED RAMADAN (EGYPT)
- ELGRANDE TOTO (MOROCCO)
- SOOLKING (ALGERIA) - (WINNER)
- BALTI (TUNISIA)
- ABU (EYGPT)
BEST SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- TITOM (SOUTH AFRICA) - (WINNER)
- YUPPE (SOUTH AFRICA)
- TYLA (SOUTH AFRICA)
- KELLY KAY (MALAWI)
- PLUTONIO (MOZAMBIQUE)
- ZEE NXUMALO (SOUTH AFRICA)
BEST CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- INNOSS'B (DRC)
- GAZ MAWETE (DRC)
- EMMA'A (GABON)
- EBOLOKO (GABON)
- SINGUILA. (CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC)
- KOCEE (CAMEROUN)
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- WALE - BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR (ODUMODUBLVCK)
- SKEPTA - TONY MONTANA (FT. PORTABLE)
- CHRIS BROWN - HMMM (FT. DAVIDO)
- TRAVIS SCOTT - ACTIVE (ASAKE) - (WINNER)
- CHLOE BAILEY - VISION REMIX (QING MADI)
BEST RAP ALBUM
- SIDEH KAI – ILLBLISS
- EZIOKWU – ODUMODUBLVCK
- ALAYE TOH SE GOGO VOL. 1 – REMINISCE
- FAMILY TIME – ERIGGA - (WINNER)
- SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME – MODENINE
SOUNDTRACK OF THE YEAR
- ELEDUMARE - TELEDALESE (ANIKULAPO: RISE OF THE SPECTRE)
- LOSE TO GAIN - KALINE (BREATH OF LIFE)
- KILL BORO - NATIVE FILMWORKS & WIZARD CHAN (KILL BORO)
- ORISA - BERIOLA (ORISA)
- EMOTIONS - TIWA SAVAGE & ASA (WATER AND GARRI)
- TRIBE CALLED JUDAH SOUNDTRACK - TCJ & ABBEY WONDER (A TRIBE CALLED JUDAH) - (WINNER)
NEXT RATED
- QING MADI
- SHALLIPOPI
- ODUMODUBLVCK - (WINNER)
- AYO MAFF
- NASBOI
AFROBEATS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- STUBBORN – VICTONY
- WORK OF ART – ASAKE
- THE YEAR I TURNED 21 - AYRA STARR
- HEIS – REMA - (WINNER)
- JIGGY FOREVER - YOUNG JONN
BEST PERFORMER (LIVE)
- REMA - RAVAGE UPRISING: REMA LIVE FROM THE O2, LONDON
- OMAH LAY - LIVE AT L'OLYMPIA PARIS
- FLAVOUR – CELEBRATING YOU 2023
- WIZARD CHAN - LIVE IN CONCERT PORT HARCOURT
- BURNA BOY - AFRICAN GIANT LIVE FROM LONDON - (WINNER)
- FEMI KUTI & THE POSITIVE FORCE - NUITS DE FOURVIÈRE (ARTE CONCERT)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
- KINGSLEY CHINWEIKE OKONKWO a.k.a KCEE
DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- AYRA STARR
- REMA
- SHALLIPOPI
- TEMS
- DAVIDO - (WINNER)
- KIZZ DANIEL
- ASAKE
SONG OF THE YEAR
- SHOWA - KIZZ DANIEL
- COMMAS - AYRA STARR
- EGWU - CHIKE AND MOHBAD
- LONELY AT THE TOP – ASAKE - (WINNER)
- OZEBA – REMA
- BIG BALLER - FLAVOUR
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- BORN IN THE WILD – TEMS
- HEIS – REMA
- THE YEAR I TURNED 21 - AYRA STARR
- STUBBORN – VICTONY
- WORK OF ART - ASAKE
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
- DAVIDO
- AYRA STARR
- ASAKE
- REMA
- TEMS
- BURNA BOY
