FOLA and Davido Dominate 2026 Headies Nominations Alongside Wizkid and Omah Lay

The nominations for the 18th edition of The Headies Awards are officially in, and rising star FOLA is making serious waves with a leading 10 nominations, while Davido follows closely with 8 nods. The prestigious ceremony, set to take place in Canada on October 23, 2026, showcases an impressive lineup of established superstars and breakout talent across multiple categories, reflecting another dynamic year in African music.

FOLA’s dominant showing includes nominations in major categories like Next Rated, Best Male Artiste, Album of the Year for Catharsis, and Digital Artiste of the Year. Davido’s eight nominations highlight his continued excellence, with his album 5ive competing for Afrobeats Album of the Year and his collaboration “With You” featuring Omah Lay appearing in multiple categories. Wizkid’s Morayo and Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness are both contenders in the Album of the Year and Afrobeats Album of the Year categories, while Omah Lay’s Clarity of Mind rounds out the heavyweight competition.

The Next Rated category features emerging talents Fido, FOLA, Llona, Mavo, and Shoday, while Song of the Year nominees include Kunmie’s “Arike,” Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago’s “Hey Jago,” Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body,” Fido’s “Joy Is Coming,” Asake & Wizkid’s “MMS,” and Davido & Omah Lay’s “With You.” In Best Female Artiste, Ayra Starr, Qing Madi, Sewa, Tems, Teni, and Tiwa Savage will compete, while Best Male Artiste sees Adekunle Gold, Asake, FOLA, Mavo, Rema, Wizkid, and Burna Boy vying for the crown.

The ceremony continues to celebrate African music beyond Nigeria, with categories recognizing talent from West Africa (featuring Black Sherif, KiDi, King Promise, and Stonebwoy from Ghana), East Africa (including Bien from Kenya and Joshua Baraka from Uganda), North Africa (with nominees from Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria), and Central Africa (dominated by Congolese artists like Fally Ipupa and Ferré Gola). A new Best African Diaspora-Canadian Artiste category honors artists like Nonso Amadi and Tôme, while International Artiste of the Year features Ciara, Dave, Gunna, Jazmine Sullivan, and Shenseea.

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