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 commenced at 8 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.

This year saw winners in new categories;, Songwriter of The Year and Best Alternative Album. The hosts were Bovi and Nancy Isime.

Fireboy DML stole the show as he went home with 5 of the awards.

You can see 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 (WINNER)

 

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. (WINNER)

 

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 (Winner)

 

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 (WINNER)

 

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 (Winner)

 

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).

 

1. LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML (WINNER)

 

2. I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD

 

3. KING – PRAIZ

 

4. BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE

 

5. 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 (WINNER)

 

BEST POP ALBUM

 

A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

 

APOLLO – FIREBOY DML (Winner)

 

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.

 

1. ELI – FIREBOY DML BY CLARENCE PETERS

 

2. 1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K (WINNER)

 

3. SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI

 

4. BILLIONAIRE – TENI BY TG OMORI

 

5. 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 (WINNER)

 

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 (WINNER)

 

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 (WINNER)

 

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 (WINNER)

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 (WINNER)

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 (Winner)

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 (WINNER)

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 (WINNER)

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 (Winner)

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 (Winner)

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 (Winner)

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 (Winner)

 

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 (WINNER)

 

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) [WINNER]

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