The Headies Awards moves to Canada for its 18th edition

• The ceremony in Toronto sees the award go out of Nigeria for the third time in its history after the 15th and 16th editions were held in Atlanta, USA.

• The 18th edition marks the 20th anniversary of the award ceremony, whose first installment held in 2006 as The Hip Hop World Award.

• The 18th Headies Awards is later in 2026, with calls for submissions for nominations expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The announcement was made on June 15, 2026, at the Grand Ballroom of the Eko Hotel Lagos at a ceremony in collaboration with the Academy Awards and the Canadian Embassy.

Ayo Animashaun, the CEO of Smooth Promotions and Hip TV, which is the company behind the Headies Awards, announced that the ceremony will be heading out of Nigeria for the 18th edition, with Toronto, Canada, playing the host.

Animashaun shared that the decision was motivated by a desire to take the prestigious ceremony to a country that boasts of a huge, successful Nigerian diaspora community.

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the award ceremony, whose first edition was held in Lagos in 2006 under the name Hip Hop World Award before being renamed The Headies.

Animashuan described the anniversary as a milestone that captures the awards' doggedness, resilience, and consistency in celebrating excellence in Nigerian music despite the challenges it had to navigate.

The 18th Headies is being organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Canadian Embassy. Canada's Deputy High Commissioner Carlos Rojas-Arbulu called the collaboration a proud one that captures the immense growth Nigerian music has recorded in the global space in the past decade.

Speaking at the event, Rojas-Arbulu shared that Nigerians have a large diasporan community in Canada, and the award ceremony held in Toronto offers an opportunity to export Nigerian music and culture, and also connect with the global community.

As part of efforts to ensure a smooth travel experience for all those who intend to travel for the trip, the Headies Academy announced a partnership with travel company WAKANOW. The CEO, Adebayo Lion Adedeji, shared the company's plan to assist intending participants in facilitating all aspects of their journey from booking, airport transportation, accommodation choices, and city touring experience.

As part of the 18th Headies Awards, the academy announced a creative and business summit that will be a part of the award ceremony. The summit, to be held in Canada, is expected to feature exchanges of ideas and collaboration among government agencies, the creative sector, and the business community.

At the ceremony, the Head of the Headies Academy, Oye Akindeinde, shared that the Academy will now be open to members. Individuals across the creative sector, media, and business magnates will be able to join a three-tier membership that caters to creatives, experience, and contributions to the Nigerian music and entertainment industry.

The announcement ceremony also included a panel session featuring WAKANOW CEO Adebayo Lion Adedeji, MTN Head of Digital Aisha Mumuni, and Yinka Adebayo, the Group Executive Director for Omnicom Media Group (OMG) across West and Central Africa.

The power-packed panel discussed challenges confronting the Nigerian creative sector, especially on how the collaborations between the private sector and the creatives can be fostered to create trust and provide the equity required to build infrastructures and a sustainable ecosystem.

The 18th Headies Awards is later in 2026, with calls for submissions for nominations expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The ceremony in Toronto sees the award go out of Nigeria for the third time in its history after the 15th and 16th editions were held in Atlanta, USA.

READ NEXT: What the Headies must do to regain its status as a prestigious award