The 14th Headies was a handover to Naija's new school
Fireboy DML's sweep at the 14th Headies announces the arrival of a new guard in Nigerian music
After what has been the most challenging year for the Nigerian music industry since 1999, industry insiders, performing artists, managers and celebrities from adjacent industries, all braved the risk of congregating in public to attend the 14th HipHop World Awards, better known as the Headies. As the most consistent platform rewarding excellence in music, the awards have become a proving ground especially for new artists seeking to make their mark on the industry. It was also a handover of sorts, heralding the arrival into the mainstream of a new crop of performing artists, some independent, others groomed by already established acts.
This year, all eyes were on a number of categories dominated by younger artists who had risen to prominence in the last three years. The Headies Next Rated category is considered the true litmus test of which artists will dominate the industry in the coming years. In 2019, Super Mavin Dynasty signee, Rema won the coveted Next Rated category, crowning a year of many triumphs. Before him Davido’s wunderkind Mayorkun won the Next Rated category in 2018 for his groundbreaking run with his debut album Mayor Of Lagos. The list of prestigious winners include Davido himself, Mr. Eazi, Patoranking, Reekado Banks and Sean Tizzle, Omawumi, Wizkid, Asa and Wandecoal. This year, Port Harcourt revelation, Omah Lay joins that prestigious class with a win, everyone predicted considering how thoroughly he dominated the charts this year with his solo project Bad Influence and his collaboration with Olamide on his album 999. Niniola was also rewarded for the stellar vocal work on her sophore album, with the lead single Addicted winning the gong for best female vocal performance.
Watch her electrifying performance here.
The night’s biggest revelation has to be Afrobeats sensation Bad Boy Timz. His win in the Rookie of the Year category at the 2020 Headies crowns an inspired year for the singer who was featured on Clout Africa’s ‘Clout U’ showcase, and was personally tapped by Olamide to feature on his song of the summer 'Loading’. Collaborations with Mayorkun and Teni round out the co-signs for this talented singer and with the Headies behind him, expectations will be high for his debut project.
Another group of deserving winners last night were Benjamin and Kingsley Okorie, the brothers behind highlife group, The Cavemen. Their debut album Roots, two years in development was nominated for and won the best Alternative album category, a triumph for an album that sought to revive a dying but storied genre of music. The duo have had one of the most stellar runs since their album dropped in 2020, touring almost exclusively despite the pandemic. Having their creative direction and strong sense of identity validated by the Headies suggests that buzz and powerful co-signs aren’t the only way to gain mainstream recognition.
The least likely yet least unsurprising of the young winners for the night is JoeBoy, who just released his album Somewhere Between Beauty And Madness. The singer was the biggest win for Mr. Eazi’s Empawa incubator, with his singles all garnering millions of views on Youtube and a loyal following. Strategic collaborations with Dj Neptune and Laycon tipped him into the running for the 2020 Headies and he won the coveted Best Pop Single and Song of the Year awards. His dual wins provide the legitimacy to aggressive promote his new album and sets him up as a strong contender for next year’s honours.
But the awards this year, ultimately belonged to Fireboy DML. The YBNL signee was the most rewarded artist of the night, winning gongs for both of his albums, Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps (winning for best R&B album) and Apollo (winning for the Best Pop Album, Headies Revelation and Best R&B Single). The singer has worked tirelessly to push his music to an international audience and his wins coinciding with his international debut on Jimmy Fallon Live is proof that Fireboy might be the next Nigerian to give us a grammy nomination. He certainly is the most accomplished younger artist in the game right now.
His wins herald a handover, from the era of rappers like Olamide and Wizkid, to a newer generation of artists who combine talent, artistry, a savvy understanding of branding and social media and a drive to dominate the industry. The awards might have had its challenges, but one thing was clear, the future of the industry is in good hands.
Omah Lay was featured on Olamide's Carpe Diem album and not 999 EP