Nigeria’s Lagos, April 28, 2025:After two straight seasons in Atlanta, USA, the Headies, Nigeria’s most prestigious music awards, triumphantly returned to Lagos, Nigeria on April 27, 2025.

Top performers Blaqbonez, Odumodublvck, and Qing Madi gave incredible performances during the Headies Awards ceremony, which acknowledged the best names in the business for their accomplishments from April 2023 to July 2024.

This year’s event introduces an unprecedented two-part format, with the 18th edition of the Headies Awards scheduled for December 2025 to compensate for the 2024 hiatus.

Below is the official list of winners from the 17th Headies Awards, recognising excellence across groundbreaking categories like Soundtrack of the Year and Best Performer (Live), both newly introduced to spotlight diverse artistic achievements.

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Best Recording of the Year

Tems – Burning

Seyi Vibez – Different Pattern

Burna Boy – Higher

Ayra Starr & Giveon – Last Heartbreak Song

Sarz Featuring Lojay – Billions

Producer of the Year

Sarz – Happiness

London – Ozeba

Magicsticks – Basquiat

Rema/Producer X/Cubeatz/Deatz/Klimperboy – Hehehe

Dibs – Different Pattern

Songwriter of the Year

Simisola Kosoko – Stranger (Simi)

Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma – Vision (Qing Madi)

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

Rookie of the Year

Llona

Kaestyle

Taves

Zerrydl

Best Rap Single 

Cast – Odumodublvck Feat Shallipopi

Blood on the Dance Floor – Odumodublvck Feat Bloody Civilian & Wale –

Hallelujah – Ladipoe, Rozzz, and Morrelo

Canada – Magnito

Ije Nwoke – Jeriq

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song

Niniola – Level

Simi – Stranger

Liya – I’m Done

Tomorrow – Yemi Alade

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

Billions – Lojay 

Moving – Omah Lay

Gratitude – Anendlessocean

For You – Johnny Drille

Ke Na Ke So – Timi Dakolo

Soundtrack of the Year

Orisa – Beriola (Orisa)

A Tribe Called Judah Soundtrack – TCJ and Abbey Wonder (A Tribe Called Judah Soundtrack)

Eledumare – Teledalase (Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre)

Lose to Gain – Kaline (Breathe of Life)

Kill Boro – Native Filmworks and Wizard Chan (Kill Boro)

Emotions – Tiwa Savage and Asa (Water and Garri)

Music Video of the Year

Charm – (Rema X Perliks X Folarin Oludare)

Metaverse – (Jyde Ajala)

Like Ice Spice – (Perliks & Emeka Shine Shine)

Ojapiano – (Mattmax)

Egwu – (Director Pink)

Showa – (Tg Omori)

Na Money – (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

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. David

Big Baller – Flavor

Lyricist on a 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

Viewers Choice Awards

Big Big Things – Young Jonn Ft. Kizz Daniel, and Seyi Vibez

Ogechi Remix – Hyce, Boypee, and Brown Joel Ft. Davido

Egwu – Chike and Mohbad

Ozeba – Rema

Different Pattern – Seyi Vibez

Showa – Kizz Daniel

Love Me Jeje – Tems

Cast – Shallipopi Ft. Odumodublvck

Dealer – Ayo Maff Ft. Fireboy

Big Baller – Flavour

Best West African Artiste of the Year

Black Sherif (Ghana)

King Promise (Ghana)

Himra (Ivory Coast)

Josey (Ivory Coast)

Toofan (Togo)

Best East African Artiste of the Year

Bien (Kenya)

Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

Juma Jux (Tanzania)

Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)

Azawi (Uganda)

Best North African Artiste of the Year

Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt)

Elgrande Toto (Morocco)

Soolking (Algeria)

Balti (Tunisia)

Abu (Eygpt)

Best Southern African Artiste of the Year

Titom (South Africa)

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 (Cameroon)

Best Rap Album

Sideh Kai – Illbliss

Eziokwu – Odumodublvck

Alaye Toh Se Gogo Vol. 1 –Reminisce

Family Time – Erigga

Shiny Object Syndrome – Modenine

Headies Next Rated

Qing Madi

Shallipopi

Odumodublvck

Ayo Maff

Nasboi

Afrobeats Album of the Year

Stubborn – Victony

Work of Art – Asake

The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr

Heis – Rema

Jiggy Forever – Young Jonn

Digital Artiste of the Year

Ayra Starr

Rema

Shallipopi

Tems

Davido

Kizz Daniel

Asake

Best Performer (Live)

Rema

Omah Lay

Flavour

Wizard Chan

Chan

Burna Boy

Femi Kuti and The Positive Force

Song of the Year

Showa – Kizz Daniel

Commas – Ayra Starr

Egwu – Chike and Mohbad

Lonely at the Top – Asake

Ozeba – Rema

Big Baller – Flavour

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)

Chloe Bailey – Vision Remix (Qing Madi

Album of the Year

Born in the Wild – Tems

Heis – Rema

The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr

Stubborn – Victony

Work of Art – Asake

Special Recognition Award Recipients

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos

Alex Okosi

Amaju Pinnick

Kcee

Humanitarian Award Recipients

Temitola Adekunle Johnson

Michelle Mukoro (King Mitchy)

Artiste of the year – Davido