The 17th edition of the prestigious Headies Awards took place on Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, celebrating outstanding achievements across the African music landscape.
The night belonged to Davido, who clinched the Artiste of the Year title as well as Digital Artiste of the Year, reaffirming his dominance on streaming platforms and within the global music scene.
Other major winners included Zerry DL, who bagged the Rookie of the Year award, and Rema, whose album HEIS won Afrobeats Album of the Year.
Tems added another feather to her cap by winning Best Recording of the Year with her soulful track “Burning”, while Lojay and Liya won Best Vocal Performance in the male and female categories, respectively.
The Next Rated Artist award, one of the most highly anticipated categories, went to Odumodublvck, who triumphed over tough competition from Shallipopi, Qing Madi, and Ayo Maff.
Special Recognition Awards were presented to notable personalities including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Alex Okosi, and Amaju Pinnick for their contributions to the music and cultural sectors.
This year’s event also came with a twist, as organizers announced that the 18th edition of the awards would be held in December to make up for the absence of the ceremony in 2024.
Here is the full list of winners at the 2025 Headies Awards:
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Rookie of the Year: Zerry DL
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Soundtrack of the Year: “Tribe Called Judah Soundtrack” – TCJ & Abbey Wonder
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Best Recording of the Year: “Burning” – Tems
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Best Vocal Performance (Male): “Billions” – Lojay
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Best Vocal Performance (Female): “I’m Done” – Liya
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Special Recognition Award Recipients: Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Alex Okosi, Amaju Pinnick
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Songwriter of the Year: “Vision” – Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma (Qing Madi)
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Producer of the Year: “OZEBA” – London
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Afrobeats Album of the Year: HEIS – Rema
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Music Video of the Year: “EGWU” – Director Pink
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Afrobeats Single of the Year: “Big Baller” – Flavour
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Headies’ Viewers’ Choice: “Egwu” – Chike & Mohbad
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Headies Next Rated: Odumodublvck
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Digital Artiste of the Year: Davido
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Best Rap Single: “Cast” – Shallipopi & Odumodublvck
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Best East African Artiste of the Year: Juma Jux (Tanzania)
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Best Street-hop Artiste: Mohbad – “Ask About Me”
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Song of the Year: “Lonely at the Top” – Asake
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Best Central African Artiste of the Year: Innoss’B (DRC)