Gospel Star Gaise Baba Challenges The Headies to Rethink Faith-Based Music Categories

The conversation around gospel music’s place in mainstream African music awards just got louder. Gaise Baba, the Afrogospel artist behind the beloved anthem “No Turning Back,” has publicly challenged The Headies Awards to reconsider how they categorize faith-based music. In an open letter published on X this past Friday, August 28, 2026, the singer argued that gospel artists deserve the opportunity to compete in mainstream categories when their music meets the artistic standards—regardless of lyrical content.

With over 15 years in Nigeria’s music industry, Gaise Baba brought both experience and frustration to his critique. His central argument? Musical genre should be determined by sound, not subject matter. “A rap song is rap whether it’s about money, relationships, or faith,” he reasoned, pointing out that elements like songwriting, delivery, flow, and production quality should dictate category placement. By restricting faith-based rap to inspirational categories, he argues, The Headies effectively blocks these records from competing for broader recognition in their actual genres. The same logic, he insists, should apply to all gospel-themed music across production, songwriting, and performance categories.

The singer’s concerns aren’t purely theoretical—they’re personal. At the previous Headies edition, Gaise Baba was nominated for “Particularly” (featuring gospel veteran Tope Alabi) in the Inspirational Music category. Despite his team participating in media rounds, the pre-award reception, and the main ceremony, that category was never announced during the five-hour-plus show. For Gaise Baba and fellow nominees including Anendlessocean, Mercy Chinwo, Dunsin Oyekan, and Limoblaze, it was a moment of recognition that simply never came. “Why couldn’t an event running over five hours find time to announce all publicly listed categories?” he questioned. This year, Gaise Baba returns as a nominee with “No Turning Back II” featuring Lawrence Oyor, again competing in Best Inspirational Single at the 18th Headies on October 25 in Toronto, Canada. His intervention has sparked necessary dialogue about whether separating faith-based music from mainstream categories ultimately limits its visibility and impact—especially when gospel records like “Favour” and “No Turning Back II” have demonstrated significant cultural influence. As the Nigerian music industry continues its global ascent, the question remains: will awards platforms evolve to recognize artistic excellence beyond lyrical themes?

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