The winners for the 2022 edition of The Headies were announced at ceremony at the Cobb Energy Concert in Atlanta, USA on Sunday (Sept. 4th), marking the event’s first appearance outside of Nigeria.
Wizkid and Tems emerged as this year’s biggest winners, taking home 6 and 5 awards for “Album of the Year” for “Made In Lagos” (Deluxe Edition), and Best R&B Album of the Year” for “If Orange Was A Place” respectively. The two also won “Song of the Year”, “Best R&B Single of the Year”, “Best Collaboration of the Year”, and “Song of the Year” for their chart-topping collaborative single “Essence”. Wizkid also won the “Best Afrobeats Album of the Year” for 2020’s “Made In Lagos”.
Gyakie, a Ghanaian genre-bending artiste, and Nektunez, a Ghanaian-Atlanta based record producer known for his crossover success “Ameno Amapiano,” were named “Best West African Artiste of the Year” and “Best Streethop Artiste of the Year,” respectively. Burna Boy won the most coveted “Best Male Artiste of the Year”, while Davido was honored with the Humanitarian Award and subsequently took home “Digital Artiste of the Year” awards.
BNXN (fka Buju) won the Next Rated category. As announced during the nominees’ unveiling ceremony in May, the winner of this category will be presented with a brand new 2022 Bently Bentiaga.
Five-time GRAMMY award winner Angélique Kidjo was inducted into the Headies Hall of Fame. She joins the likes of King Sunny Ade and Evang. Ebenezer Obey; Chris Ubosi; 2Face Idibia; Sir. Victor Uwaifo; DJ Jimmy Jatt, Keke Ogungbe, and Dayo D1’ Adeneye, Eddie Lawani & Ben Bruce; Obi Asika & Olisa Adibua; Phillip Trimnell; Femi Akinyemi Johnson & Grand Master Lee; Shina Peters; Femi Kuti; Kwam 1; and Laolu Akintobi in the Hall of Fame.
AKON and Wyclef Jean were also honored with the International Artiste Special Recognition award. Patoranking, AdekunleGold, Fireboy_Dml, Olamide, TG Omori (Boy Director), LADIPOE, Ayra Starr, Oxlade, D’banj, FAVE, Diamond Platnumz, and more were other winners on the night.
The annual scheme, now in its 15th year, was established in 2006 by Hip Hop World Magazine and acknowledges absolutely stellar musicians and music professionals in Nigeria’s entertainment industry. This year, the scheme expanded its scope of nominations to include more African regions and artists; increased the number of award categories from 26 to 35; and named 118 nominees in total, with 27 of these nominees coming from other parts of Africa.
