Rising Nigerian singer Fola has emerged as the biggest contender for the 2026 Headies nonimations , beating established stars including Wizkid, Omah Lay and Davido in the nominations race.
Organisers of the prestigious music awards unveiled nominees for the 18th edition on Tuesday, setting the stage for another major battle for honours among some of Africa’s biggest and fastest-rising music stars.
Fola leads the field with 10 nominations, while Omah Lay follows closely with eight.
Wizkid and Mavo secured seven nominations each, placing them among the other major contenders ahead of the ceremony.
For Fola, the haul represents a significant moment in his rapidly growing career. It also puts him in direct competition with artistes who have dominated Nigerian and African music for considerably longer.
The singer’s strong showing comes amid the success of his music and growing profile within the Afrobeats scene.
Away from the male-dominated top positions, Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr emerged as the most nominated female artistes, securing five nominations each.
The figures mean the 2026 nominations are not being controlled exclusively by the familiar heavyweight names.
While Wizkid remains firmly among the most recognised artistes on the list, younger acts such as Fola and Mavo have forced their way into the upper end of the nominations table.
A total of 213 nominations were announced across the various categories.
The awards will hold in Toronto, Canada, on October 25, with the 18th edition carrying the theme “Africa to the World.”
Taking the ceremony to Canada also extends the Headies’ continuing effort to position African music before an international audience at a time when Afrobeats and other sounds from the continent have gained significant global attention.
Fola’s 10 nominations signal a changing Headies race
Perhaps the most interesting part of the nominations is not simply that Fola leads — it is who he leads.
Wizkid has spent years as one of Afrobeats’ most internationally recognised figures, while Omah Lay has established himself as one of the standout stars of a younger generation.
For Fola to enter the 2026 ceremony with more nominations than both therefore gives this year’s Headies a different complexion.
It also reflects how quickly the hierarchy of Nigerian pop music can change.
Major awards have traditionally offered established stars another opportunity to consolidate their dominance, but nomination lists can also capture the exact moment when a new act stops being regarded merely as promising and becomes a genuine competitor.
Fola appears to have reached that point.
Mavo’s seven nominations further strengthen that argument. His presence alongside Wizkid on the nominations count means two comparatively newer names are competing for attention in a field containing some of the industry’s most decorated performers.
Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr sharing the lead among female nominees tells a similar story from another angle.
Savage represents an established generation of Nigerian female stars whose influence helped expand the international reach of Afrobeats, while Ayra Starr has become one of the most visible faces of the generation that followed.
Their five nominations each place both eras side by side heading into the ceremony.
Ultimately, nominations do not guarantee trophies, and having the most entries will mean little if the results go another way on awards night.
But before a single winner is announced, Fola has already produced one of the biggest talking points of the 2026 Headies.
On October 25, attention will turn to whether his nomination dominance can be converted into an equally impressive collection of awards when the Headies takes its “Africa to the World” celebration to Toronto.
See the Full 2026 Headies nominations below:
Song of the Year
Rahman Jago
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
Hey Jago — Poco Lee, Shoday &
Joy Is Coming — Fido
Hot Body — Ayra Starr
Arike — Kunmie
MMS — Asake & Wizkid
Afrobeats Single of the Year
You — Fola
Jogodo — Asake & Wizkid
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
Fun — Rema
Laho — Shallipopi
Best Performer (Live)
Asake — Red Bull Symphonic
Adekunle Gold — Live at the National Theatre, Lagos
Ayra Starr — Global Citizen Festival 2025
Ruger — Live at Indigo at The O2, London (2025)
Johnny Drille — Johnny’s Room Live 6
Best R&B Album
Catharsis — Fola
I Am the Blueprint — Qing Madi
Reflection Station — Tay Iwar
Love Is a Kingdom — Tems
This One Is Personal — Tiwa Savage
Before We Became Strangers — Kunmie
Best Recording of the Year
How Do You? — Amaeya
You — Fola
Baby (Is It a Crime) — Rema
Coping Mechanism — Omah Lay & Elmah
With You — Davido & Omah Lay
Arike — Kunmie
Best Alternative Album
Detox — Sewa
Olorin Pack — Scottyolorin
Duplicity — BOJ
Then 1t Got Crazy — Zaylevelten
Afrika Magik — SDC
Healers Chapel — Wizard Chan
Digital Artiste of the Year
Ayra Starr
Asake
BNXN
Seyi Vibez
Fola
Mavo
Wizkid
Chella
Next Rated
Fola
Shoday
Llona
Mavo
Fido
Afrobeats Album of the Year
Morayo — Wizkid
5ive — Davido
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
Captain — BNXN
Fuji — Adekunle Gold
Clarity of Mind — Omah Lay
Music Video of the Year
Dammy Twitch — With You — Davido
Jyde Ajala — Wizard Chan
TG Omori — Afroculture — Flavour ft Baaba Maal
DK — Bundle by Bundle — Burna Boy
Director Pink — 10 Kilo — Davido
Best Female Artiste
Tiwa Savage
Ayra Starr
Sewa
Qing Madi
Tems
Teni
Best Male Artiste
Fola
Asake
Mavo
Wizkid
Rema
Burna Boy
Adekunle Gold
Rookie of the Year
Priesst
Danpapa Gta
Kidd Carder
Firstklaz
No11
OG Abbah
Amma
Best Inspirational Single
Favour — Lawrence Oyor
We Move — Mercy Chinwo
Idinma (You Are Good) — Sinach
No Turning Back 2 — Gaise Baba ft Lawrence Oyor
Amioluwa — Sunmisola Agbebi ft Yinka Okeleye
Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) — EmmaOMG
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Magixx — Winter and Summer
Flavour — Orente
Odeal — Patience
Syemca — Love Egbugomo
Tay Iwar — Bad Belle
Adekunle Gold — I’m Not Done
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Amaeya — How Do You?
Tiwa Savage — You4Me
Sewa — Lagos Lovin
Liya — Skin to Skin
Layefa — 6:35
Qing Madi — Scum Bag
Best Street-Hop Artiste
Kashcoming — All My Money
Shallipopi — Laho
Poco Lee — Hey Jago ft Shoday and Rahman Jago
Famous Pluto — Na Scra
Seyi Vibez — Shaolin
Rybeena — Gaddem ft Shoday
Tuff King — Nkemakonam
International Artiste of the Year
Shenseea
Dave
Gunna
Jazmine Sullivan
Tiakola
Ciara
