The Headies has updated its Song of the Year nominees to include Olamide’s “99” featuring Young Jonn, Asake, Seyi Vibez and Daecolm.
The previous list featured Kunmie’s “Arike”, Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago’s “Hey Jago”, Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body”, FIDO’s “Joy Is Coming”, Wizkid’s “MMS” and Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You”.
The update brings the category to eight nominees and comes alongside changes to other categories, including Best Male Artiste.
The Headies has unveiled the nominees for its 18th edition, with Wizkid, Ayra Starr, Mavo, Davido, Burna Boy, Asake and several of Nigeria’s leading artists featuring across the categories.
The nominations were announced on Tuesday, August 25, ahead of the ceremony, which will take place on October 25 in Toronto, Canada. The 18th edition is themed “Africa to the World,” marking another international outing for the Nigerian music awards.
Wizkid is among the most nominated artists this year, picking up six nominations. His 2024 album Morayo is in contention for Afrobeats Album of the Year, while he is also nominated for Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste and Headies’ Viewers’ Choice. His collaborations with Asake on “MMS” and “Jogodo” are nominated for Song of the Year and Afrobeats Single of the Year respectively.
Ayra Starr has five nominations, including Song of the Year for “Hot Body”, Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Female Artiste, Best Performer (Live) for her Global Citizen Festival 2025 performance, and Headies’ Viewers’ Choice.
The nominations also give significant recognition to Mavo, who is shortlisted for Next Rated alongside Fido, Fola, Llona and Shoday. He is also nominated for Digital Artiste of the Year and Best Male Artiste.
Fola is another prominent name among the emerging acts, earning nominations for Next Rated, Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Best R&B Album for Catharsis, and categories recognising his songs “You” and “Who Does That?”.
Elsewhere, Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You” is nominated for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year and Best Recording of the Year, while Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness competes for Afrobeats Album of the Year. Burna Boy is also nominated for Best Male Artiste, with “Bundle by Bundle” receiving an Afrobeats Single of the Year nomination.
The Song of the Year category brings together Kunmie’s “Arike”, “Hey Jago” by Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago, Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body”, Fido’s “Joy Is Coming”, Asake and Wizkid’s “MMS”, and Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You”.
For Afrobeats Single of the Year, the nominees are Rema’s “Fun”, Asake and Wizkid’s “Jogodo”, Shallipopi’s “Laho”, Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You”, Fola’s “You”, and Burna Boy’s “Bundle by Bundle”.
The 2026 nominations follow an eligibility period covering music released between August 1, 2024 and April 30, 2026.
The 18th Headies will hold on October 25, 2026, in Toronto, Canada.
Meeting your favourite artist can be surreal. For one Ayra Starr fan, the moment apparently required a little physical verification.
During Ayra Starr’s “Starrgirl” fan signing pop-up in Camden, London, a fan shared a TikTok showing herself embracing the singer before pinching her.
Ayra immediately winced in pain, seemingly caught off guard by the unexpected pinch, while the fan appeared to be confirming that the singer was, in fact, real.
The interaction has since made its rounds online, turning what was already a memorable fan encounter into a particularly funny one.
Ayra was in Camden for the “Starrgirl” fan signing, with footage from the event showing her meeting fans and signing copies of her latest album.
The Camden appearance forms part of the rollout for Starrgirl, Ayra’s third studio album, which was released in August 2026. The project continues the singer’s evolution from the breakout success of “Rush” into one of Afrobeats’ most recognisable young stars.
For this fan, though, meeting Starrgirl wasn’t quite enough. She needed to make sure the Starrgirl in front of her wasn’t a very convincing hologram.
And apparently, a pinch was the best way to find out.
Guadeloupean singer-songwriter Alex Alidor has released “AUREL-LEE”, a track that places traditional Gwo Ka alongside elements of South African Afro-Jazz and electronic production.
The song uses Ka percussion as a central part of its rhythmic foundation, set against deep bass, shakers and electronic textures associated with contemporary African club music. The result connects a traditional Guadeloupean sound with a more modern production framework.
“AUREL-LEE” is part of Alidor’s broader work across Afro-Caribbean and African-rooted sounds. His catalogue also draws from Reggae, slow-tempo music and Bolero, alongside Gwo Ka.
Alidor is an independent singer-songwriter based in Guadeloupe who releases his music independently. He is also working on a debut book exploring themes of love, resilience and personal experience.
“AUREL-LEE” is available on streaming platforms.
Guadeloupe-based singer-songwriter Alex Alidor has released “AH-RONE”, a track that brings elements of traditional Gwo Ka together with Afro-Reggae and electronic production.
The song draws on the rhythmic foundation of Gwo Ka, the traditional music of Guadeloupe, alongside deep bass, shakers and an Afro-Reggae-influenced groove. The production places the acoustic character of Ka percussion against a more contemporary electronic framework.
Alidor’s broader musical approach also incorporates Reggae, slow-tempo arrangements and Bolero, reflecting the influence of both Caribbean traditions and African-rooted sounds.
“AH-RONE” is part of Alidor’s independently released catalogue. The Guadeloupean artist has maintained an independent approach to his music and is also working on a debut book exploring themes including love, resilience and personal experience.
The track was released as part of Alidor’s ongoing work across Afro-Caribbean sounds.
“AH-RONE” is available on streaming platforms.
Hugh Peeple has released “Room 2 Dance”, the second album from the underground music project following a two-album run over two years.
The project has involved several established musicians and producers, including Danny Saber, whose production credits include work with the Rolling Stones, Madonna and David Bowie, and guitarist Levi Seacer Jr., who previously played with Prince.
“Room 2 Dance” follows Hugh Peeple’s earlier release as the project continues to operate largely outside the mainstream music landscape.
The album’s production brings together the contributions of musicians with backgrounds across rock, pop and funk, placing Hugh Peeple’s work in a broader lineage of genre-crossing collaborations.
“Room 2 Dance” is available on streaming platforms.
Author and speaker Stephen Crawford has released “Resonant Sounds”, a ten-song record created alongside his book, The Five Stages of Resonance.
The project is built around the idea of a person as an instrument, using music as another way to explore the themes of resonance that run through Crawford’s writing.
Crawford describes the record as a companion to the book, with “I Speak for Two”, “STRIKE ME I RING” and “Show Me the Dust!” identified as part of its central set. The record is also dedicated to Breeanna Smith, whom Crawford credits with seeing through him during a crowded-room encounter.
Crawford is the author of The Five Stages of Resonance and has spoken in 33 countries. “Resonant Sounds” marks his move into recorded music, extending the ideas explored in his writing into a ten-song project.
“Resonant Sounds” is available on streaming platforms.
Nigerian singer and songwriter Uwaky Lay has released “I’m Okay”, a track centred on the tension between outward composure and more complicated emotions.
Released through Savage Industry on July 25, 2026, the song takes an Afrobeat-rooted approach, with a melodic vocal delivery and lyrics focused on love, heartbreak, personal experiences and resilience.
The title reflects the song’s central idea: the phrase “I’m okay” can carry different meanings depending on what sits beneath it. Rather than presenting resilience as a straightforward resolution, the track approaches it through the language of everyday emotion.
“I’m Okay” follows Uwaky Lay’s broader focus on relationship and life experiences, drawing on contemporary African pop while keeping the songwriting centred on personal stories.
“I’m Okay” is available on streaming platforms.
Ghanaian singer Twicy has released a new video for “Hope,” a song he originally made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released in 2020, “Hope” was created as an encouraging record during a period when the pandemic had disrupted everyday life around the world. Twicy described the song as something positive for listeners during the uncertainty of that period.
The new video gives the song another visual release, several years after its original connection to the pandemic.
Twicy, born Ernest Bright Acquah, is from Agona Swedru in Ghana’s Central Region. He has released songs including “Lotto”, “Live It Up”, “Monalisa” and “All Over Me”, and released his debut album Far Away in 2023. His career has also included two wins at the 2024 Central Music Awards, where he was named Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.
“Hope” is out now with its accompanying video.
ALEXATOR has released “Genesis”, the first track from a new electronic music project that will unfold across multiple releases.
The track combines electronic production with electric guitar, drawing from trance, progressive electronic music and electronic rock.
According to ALEXATOR, the project is structured as a continuous story, with each release forming part of the larger sequence. “Genesis” serves as the starting point of that story.
The track’s production brings together melodic electronic elements, guitar instrumentation and cinematic touches.
“Genesis” is available on streaming platforms.