Following two consecutive editions held in Atlanta, USA, the Headies returned to base in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, April 27, 2025.
At the prestigious award ceremony, which took place amid pomp and panache at Landmark Event Center, Lagos, Afrobeats superstar, Davido went home with the biggest win of the night. He was declared the Artiste of the Year.
Other winners include Odumodublvck, Juma Jux, Tems, Qing Madi, London, Ayra Starr, Lojay, Chike and Mohbad.
Marked by electrifying performances from top acts like Blaqbonez, Odumodublvck and Qing Madi, the ceremony honoured the industry’s biggest stars for their contributions between April 2023 and July 2024.
This year’s event introduced an unprecedented two-part format, with the 18th edition scheduled for December 2025, to compensate for the 2024 hiatus.
Here is the list of winners:
Best Recording of the Year
Tems – Burning (winner)
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 (winner)
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) (winner)
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 (winner)
Rookie of the Year
Llona
Kaestyle
Taves
Zerrydl (winner)
Best Rap Single
Cast – Odumodublvck ft. Shallipopi (winner)
Blood on the Dance Floor – Odumodublvck ft. 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 (winner)
Tomorrow – Yemi Alade
Best Vocal Performance (Male)
Billions – Lojay (winner)
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 (winner)
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) (winner)
Showa – (TG Omori)
Na Money – (Dammy Twitch)
Best Collaboration
Emotions – Tiwa Savage ft. Asa
Blood on the Dance Floor -Odumodublvck, Bloody Civilian and Wale
Cast – Shallipopi ft. Odumodublvck
Egwu – Chike and Mohbad (winner)
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 (winner)
Afrobeats Single of the Year
Big Big Things – Young Jonn ft. Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez
Twe Twe remix – Kizz Daniel
Egwu ft. Mohbad – Chike
Remember – Asake
Ogechi Remix – Hyce, Boypee and Brown Joel ft. David
Big Baller – Flavor (winner)
Lyricist on a Roll
Mogadishu – A-Q
Chocolate City Cypher – M.I Abaga
Chocolate City Cypher –Blaqbonez
Hallelujah – Ladipoe (winner)
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 (winner)
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 (winner)
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) (winner)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Toofan (Togo)
Best East African Artiste of the Year
Bien (Kenya)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Juma Jux (Tanzania) (winner)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Azawi (Uganda)
Best North African Artiste of the Year
Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt)
Elgrande Toto (Morocco)
Soolking (Algeria) (winner)
Balti (Tunisia)
Abu (Eygpt)
Best Southern African Artiste of the Year
Titom (South Africa) (winner)
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) (winner)
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 (winner)
Shiny Object Syndrome – Modenine
Headies Next Rated
Qing Madi
Shallipopi
Odumodublvck (winner)
Ayo Maff
Nasboi
Afrobeats Album of the Year
Stubborn – Victony
Work of Art – Asake
The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
Heis – Rema (winner)
Jiggy Forever – Young Jonn
Digital Artiste of the Year
Ayra Starr
Rema
Shallipopi
Tems
Davido (winner)
Kizz Daniel
Asake
Best Performer (Live)
Rema
Omah Lay
Flavour
Wizard Chan
Chan
Burna Boy (winner)
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 (winner)
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) (winner)
Chloe Bailey – Vision Remix (Qing Madi
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
Special Recognition Award Recipients
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
Alex Okosi
Amaju Pinnick
Kcee
Humanitarian Award Recipients
Temitola Adekunle Johnson
Michelle Mukoro (King Mitchy)
Artiste of the year
Davido (winner)