The 17th Headlies Awards made its way back to the headlines on Sunday night, at the Landmark Event Centre. Odumodublvck, the gritty street poet with an unmistakable bounce, etched his name in the stars, clinching the ‘Next Rated’ title at the 17th Headies Awards.
Hosted by Nancy Isime, the night was a colorful celebration of music crafted between April 1, 2023, and July 31, 2024 — a season that birthed bangers and broke boundaries.
The ‘Declan Rice’ hitmaker edged out a packed field of young bloods: Qing Madi, Shallipopi, Ayo Maff, and Nasboi. When the envelope was cracked open and Odumodu’s name echoed through the hall, the roof almost came off.
But the night wasn't only about the ‘Next Rated’ crown.
In a bittersweet moment, the late Mohbad was posthumously honored, winning ‘Best Street-Hop Artiste’ for his anthemic ‘Ask About Me’. Rema, forever the golden boy, took home ‘Album of the Year’ for his introspective masterpiece HeIs.
Beyond the music, the organizers gave nods to changemakers. Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, YouTube boss Alex Okosi, and sports mogul Amaju Pinnick all walked away with special recognition plaques — a reminder that influence isn’t only measured by charts.
Here’s the full list of winners at the 17th Headies:
Best Recording of the Year
Tems – ‘Burning’ — WINNER
Seyi Vibez – ‘Different Pattern’
Burna Boy – ‘Higher’
Ayra Star and Giveon – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’
Sarz and Lojay – ‘Billions’
Best Street-hop Artiste
Seyi Vibez – ‘Different Patterns’
Ayo Maff – ‘Dealer’ ft (Fire Boy)
Shallipopi – ‘Cast’ ft (Odumodu Blvck)
Zhus Jdo – ‘Johnbull’
Mohbad – ‘Ask About Me’–WINNER
Afrobeats Single of the Year
‘Big Big Things’ – Young John ft Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez
‘Twe Twe remix’ – Kizz Daniel ft Davido
‘Egwu’ – Chike ft Mohbad
‘Remember’ – Asake
‘Ogechi remix’ – Hyce, Boypee and Brown Joel ft Davido
‘Big Baller’ – Flavour — WINNER
Producer of the Year
Sarz – ‘Happiness’
London – ‘Ozeba’ — WINNER
Magicsticks – ‘Basquiat’
Rema/Producer X/Cubeats/Deatz/Klimperboy – ‘Hehehe’
Dibs – ‘Different Pattern’
Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Ayra Star – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’
Niniola – ‘Level’
Simi – ‘Stranger’
Liya – ‘I’m Done’ –WINNER
Yemi Alade – ‘Tomorrow’
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
‘Billions’ – Lojay — WINNER
‘Moving’ – Omah Lay
‘Gratitude’ – Anendlessocean
‘For You’ – Johnny Drille
‘Ke Na Ke So’ – Timi Dakolo
Best Rap Single
‘Cast’ – Odumodu Blvck and Shallipopi — WINNER
‘Blood on the dance floor’ – Bloody Civilian, Wale and Odumodu Blvck
‘Hallelujah’ – Ladipoe, Rozzz, and Morello
‘Canada’ – Magnito
‘Ije Nwoke’ – Jeriq
Rookie of the Year
Zerry DL — WINNER
Taves
Kaestyles
Llona
Songwriter of the Year
Simisola Kosoko – ‘Stranger’ (Simi)
Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma – ‘Vision’ (Qing Madi) — WINNER
Michael Ajuma Attah – ‘Can’t Breathe’ (Llona)
Emoseh Khamofu – ‘Family Meeting’ (Bloody Civilian)
Fuayefika Maxwell – ‘Stages of Life’ (Wizard Chan)
Music Video of the Year
‘Charm’ – Rema, Oerlinks and Folarin Oludare
‘Metaverse’ – Jyde Ajala
‘Like Ice Spice’ – Perlinks and Emeka Shine Shine
‘Ojapiano’ – Mattmax
‘Egwu’ – Director Pink — WINNER
‘Showa’ – TG Omori
‘Na Money’ – Dammy Twitch
Best East African Artiste of the Year
Bien (KENYA)
Diamond Platnumz (TANZANIA)
Juma Jux (TANZANIA) — WINNER
Bruce Melodie (RWANDA)
Azawi (UGANDA)
Next Rated
Qing Madi
Shallipopi
Odumodublvck — WINNER
Ayo Maff
Nasboi
Song Of The Year
‘Showa’ – Kizz Daniel
‘Commas’ – Ayra Starr
‘Egwu’ – Chike AND Mohbad
‘Lonely At The Top’ – Asake — WINNER
‘Ozeba’ – Rema
‘Big Baller’ – Flavour
Digital Artiste of the Year
• Ayra Starr
• Rema
• Shallipopi
• Tems
• Davido — WINNER
• Kizz Daniel
• Asake
Album Of The Year
• ‘Born In The Wild’ – Tems
• ‘HeIs’ – Rema — WINNER
• ‘The Year I Turned 21’ – Ayra Starr
• ‘Stubborn’ – Victony
• ‘Work Of Art’ – Asake
Soundtrack of the Year
‘Eledumare’ – Teledalase (Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre)
‘Lose to Gain’– Kaline (Breathe of Life)
‘Kill Boro’ – Native Filmworks and Wizard Chan (Kill Boro)
‘Orisa’ – Beriola (Orisa)
‘Emotions’ – Tiwa Savage and Asa (Water and Garri)
‘Tribe Called Judah Soundtrack’ – TCJ and Abbey Wonder (A Tribe Called Judah Soundtrack) — WINNER
Headies Viewer’s Choice
‘Egwu’ – Chike & Mohbad — WINNER
‘Big Baller’ – Flavour
‘Big Big Things’ – Young Jonn (ft. Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez)
‘Ogechi Remix’ – Hyce, Boypee, and Brown Joel (ft. Davido)
‘Showa’ – Kizz Daniel
‘Different Pattern’ – Seyi Vibez
‘OZEBA’ – Rema
‘Love Me Jeje’ – Tems
‘Cast’ – Shallipopi (ft. Odumodublvck)
‘Dealer’ – Ayo Maff (ft. Fireboy DML)
