Pulse Nigeria predicts winners at 2021 Headies

It will be the 14th edition of an award heralded by Ayo Animashaun and his company, HipHop World. Nigerian stars like Burna Boy, Fireboy, Wizkid and more lead nominations.

Fireboy leads the way with nine nominations. The awards are set to hold later today, Sunday, February 21, 2020.

This year will see winners in new categories;, Songwriter of The Year and Best Alternative Album.

ALSO READ: Here is the full list of winners from the 2019 Headies

There is no segmentation of nominations to just the superstars. The award itself will be held virtually very soon.

You can see the full list of nominations below;

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.

OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO
SMILE - WIZKID FEAT. HER
WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY
DREAMER – FIREBOY DML
GHOST TOWN – WURLD

Who will win: Smile by Wizkid because it was such a steady record from Wizkid, it also has an amazing music video.

Who should win: Ozymandias by Brymo is simply the most eclectic record in that category.

Outlier: 'Ozymandias' by Brymo

BEST POP SINGLE

A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).

BILLIONAIRE – TENI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI.
LADY – REMA
FEM – DAVIDO
JORO - WIZKID
SKELETUN - TEKNO

Who will win: 'Nobody' by DJ Neptune featuring Joeboy and Mr. Eazi.

Who should win: 'Fem' by Davido.

Outlier: None.

SONG OF THE YEAR

A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.

FEM – DAVIDO
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
JORO - WIZKID
MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY
DUDUKE – SIMI

Who will win: 'FEM' by Davido

Who should win: Duduke by Simi

Outlier: 'Mafo' by Naira Marley

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.

PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI
SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE
KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY
SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD

Who will win: 'Billionaire' by Pheelz

Who should win: 'Billionaire' by Pheelz

Outlier: None

BEST RAP ALBUM

A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.

GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ
ILLY CHAPO X - ILLBLISS
YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP
CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO
THE ERIGMA II - ERIGGA

Who will win: God's Engineering by AQ

Who should win: 'God's Engineering' by AQ

Outlier: None

BEST R&B ALBUM

A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

1. LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML

2. I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD

3. KING – PRAIZ

4. BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE

5. CELIA – TIWA SAVAGE

Who will win: 'Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps' by Fireboy DML

Who should win: Boo of The Booless by Chie

Outlier: I Like Girls With Trobul by Sarz and Wurld

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM

A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

YELLOW – BRYMO
LUCID – ASA
THE LIGHT – BEZ
PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI
ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN

Who will win: Pioneers by DRB Lasgidi

Who should win: Yellow by Brymo

Outlier: ROOTS by The Cavemen

BEST POP ALBUM

A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO
WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD

Who will win: Apollo by Fireboy

Who should win: African Giant by Burna Boy

Outlier: Afro Pop Vol. 1 by Adekunle Gold

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.

1. ELI – FIREBOY DML BY CLARENCE PETERS

2. 1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K

3. SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI

4. BILLIONAIRE - TENI BY TG OMORI

5. SHEKERE - YEMI ALADE BY OVIE ETSEYATSE

Who will win: Smile by Wizkid featuring H.E.R [Meji Alabi]

Who should win: Shekere by Yemi Alade

Outlier: ELI by Fireboy

BEST R&B SINGLE

A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).

UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ
DUDUKE – SIMI
MAD – SARZ & WURLD
BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY
TATTOO – FIREBOY DML
DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE

Who will win: Bad Influence by Omah Lay

Who should win: Duduke by Simi

Outlier: Mad by Sarz & Wurld

BEST COLLABORATION

A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).

KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD
DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN
TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE
GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ

Who will win: Nobody by DJ Neptune featuring Joeboy and Mr. Eazi

Who should win: Nobody by DJ Neptune featuring Joeboy and Mr. Eazi

Outlier: None

BEST RAP SINGLE

A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.

OGB4IG – REMINISCE
SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ
COUNTRY – ILLBLISS
GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM
BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS

Who will win: Bop Daddy by Falz featuring Ms. Banks

Who should win: Get The Info by Phyno featuring Falz & Phenom

Outlier: None

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)

A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.

WURLD – GHOST TOWN
CHIKE – FORGIVE
PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY
COHBAMS – PLENTI
NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE
JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU

Who will win: Forgive by Chike

Who should win: Forgive by Chike

Outlier: We Plenti by Cobhams

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.

SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL
LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE
NINIOLA - ADDICTED
J-DESS – CHI EFO
YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI
IMANSE - AJALA

Who will win: No Longer Beneficial by Simi

Who should win: Chi Efo by J'Dess or One On The Outside by Lindsey Abudei

Outlier: None

NEXT RATED

This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.

TEMS
OMAH LAY
OXLADE
BELLA SHMURDA

Who will win: Omah Lay

Who should win: Omah Lay

Outlier: None

HEADIES REVELATION

A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.

VICTOR AD
FIREBOY DML
JOEBOY
TENI
REMA
CHIKE

Who will win: Fireboy

Who should win: Fireboy

Outlier: Teni

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.

AQ – EUNICE
BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2
MI ABAGA – TRINITY
ILLBLISS – COUNTRY
PHENOM – GET THE INFO
PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE

Who will win: Eunice by AQ

Who should win: Eunice by AQ

Outlier: Speak Life by Phyno

BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE

A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.

NAIRA MARLEY & YOUNG JOHN – MAFO
MAYORKUN – GENG
REMINISCE FEAT. OLAMIDE & NAIRA MARLEY – INSTAGRAM
RUDEBOY – AUDIO MONEY
IVD & ZLATAN – BOLANLE
OLAMIDE - PAWON

Who will win: 'Mafo' by Naira Marley and Young Jonn

Who should win: Mafo by Naira Marley and Young Jonn

Outlier: Geng by Mayorkun

BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG

A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.

CORNER – LADY DONLY FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN
I WONDER - MOELOGO
BITTER - DEENA ADE
ANITA - THE CAVEMEN
MONEY DEVOTION - GBASKY
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - OLU

Who will win: Anita by The Cavemen

Who should win: Money Devotion by Gbasky

Outlier: God Save The Queen by Olu

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).

AFRICAN GIANT - BURNA BOY
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRO POP VOL. 1 - ADEKUNLE GOLD
YELLOW – BRYMO
BOO OF THE BOOLESS - CHIKE

Who will win: Apollo by Fireboy

Who should win: African Giant by Burna Boy

Outlier: Boo of The Booless by Chike

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.

BURNA BOY
DAVIDO
WIZKID
MAYORKUN
TIWA SAVAGE

Who will win: No idea

Who should win: Burna Boy

Outlier: Mayorkun

AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION

A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.

MASTER KG
KUAMI EUGENE
SAUTI SOL
SHAATA WALE
STONEBWOY

There's only one winner: Masterk KG

HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE

A voting category to award the fan’s favorite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.

DAVIDO
OMAH LAY
BURNA BOY
FALZ
FIREBOY DML
MAYORKUN
DJ NEPTUNE
WIZKID

Who will win: Wizkid

Who should win: Burna Boy

Outlier: Fireboy DML

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:

A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.

OLAKIRA
ALPHA P
JAMOPYPER
ZINOLEESKY
BAD BOY TIMZ

Who will win: Bad Boy Timz

Who should win: Zinoleesky

Outlier: None

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:

A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.