This writer is not affiliated with the awarding committee of the Headies. He doesn’t sit in with them, doesn’t even know who makes up the committee, or on what extra criteria will be used in judging the winners of the awards, apart from the publicly available information released when the nominees list was released.
The reason for this warning is that if on the off-chance all the predictions below are correct, we can all agree it was down to sheer luck or a non-often-used knowledge of how the Nigerian music industry works.
The Headies is the most prestigious music awards in the country, consistently rewarding excellence in music for over a decade. Being nominated is enough recognition of a good job done but winning the award, any award is a truly worth accolade.
So let’s begin.
NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising upcoming act in the year under review.
Nominees: Ycee, Mr Eazi, Humblesmith, Aramide
This is usually the most hotly contested, controversial and most prestigious category, partly because it is followed with the gift of a brand new car and also because over the years it has shown to be a very accurate predictor of who would have a successful music career in years to come.
However, over the past 24 hours, it has become less hot-hotly contested, with the disqualification of who was undoubtedly the frontrunner, Tekno.
Now Ycee jumps to the front of the queue stemming from his back-to back hit songs. He will win the award after what has been a stellar 18 months for ‘Omo Alhaji’.
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
This goes to the most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste for the year under review.
Nominees: Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Falz, Yemi Alade, Olamide
This is definitely the easiest to call. Wizkid’s rise in the recent past has been nothing short of meteoric.
His collaboration with Drake on the chart-topping ‘One Dance’ plus his Grammy nomination capped off a good time to be Wizkid.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.
Nominees: ‘Emergency’ (D’Banj) – Unlimited L.A, ‘Mary’ (Seyi Shay) – Meji Alabi, ‘Soldier’ (Falz Tha Bad Guy) – Clarence Peters, ‘Made For You’ – Banky W, ‘Bad’ (Tiwa Savage featuring Wizkid) – Sesan
The artistes with a Chemistry win it here. You only need to watch what could have been a very good feature-length movie with excellent cinematography by Clarence Peters to want the two singers to wonder if something is really going on between the two.
Not even the fact the Falz is co-hosting the awards will stop him from winning this.
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best single recording by an artiste or group in the year under review.
Nominees: ‘Emergency’ – D’banj, ‘Pray For Me’ – Darey featuring Soweto Choir, ‘Love Don’t Care’ – Simi, ‘Orente’ – Adekunle Gold, ‘Something Good Is Happening’ – Brymo
Another easy one. if only for the sheer effort involved in bringing in an entire mass choir into the studio, then ‘Pray for Me’ should win hands down.
But it is also a fantastic song with stirring vocals and a conscious message.
SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
Nominees: ‘Final (Baba Nla)’ – Wizkid, ‘Osinachi’ – Humblesmith ft. Davido, ‘Pick Up’ – Adekunle Gold, ‘Reggae Blues’ – Harrysong ft. Olamide, Iyanya, Kcee, Orezi, ‘Fada Fada’ – Phyno ft. Olamide
Probably the hardest to predict. All the nominated songs are the biggest Nigerian songs in recent times.
But ‘Fada Fada’ has been the biggest, probably because of its cross-cultural appeal and then star power of the collaborators.
this post first appeared on The NET
