The race for Electronic Artiste of the Year at the 18th Headies brings together a mix of settled Afrobeats stars, street-pop favourites and some of the novel names making serious noise in Nigerian music.
His inclusion alongside some of the biggest names in Afrobeats shows how promptly web-based platforms can alter the fortunes of emerging artistes. Rather than relying solely on standard album campaigns or accepted advertise profiles, younger acts can now construct beneficial audiences through means of streaming, social media and viral records.
That nomination places him within a group of artistes including Famous Pluto, Kashcoming, Poco Lee, Shallipopi, Tuff King and Rybeena.
Chella
The project’s standout monitor “You” picked up nominations in a lot of significant categories, including Song of the Year, Afrobeats Only of the Year, Top Recording of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Alternative.
His Electronic Artiste of the Year nomination is another indication of how swiftly his music has found an community digital.
One of the records from the period, “Cough Syrup” together with Victony, has moreover received recognition, including Victony earning a Songwriter of the Year nomination associated to the song.
For BNXN, the Simulated Artiste of the Year nomination comes alongside recognition for a complete-length project and his continued presence on collaborative records.
Few names on the list have a longer document of electronic dominance than Wizkid, and the singer’s modern run has given him another solid case for matter.
Seyi Vibez brings the strength of street-pop, although FOLA, Mavo and Chella represent a younger wave of artistes alongside web-based platforms to construct their careers.
Wizkid and Asake represent founded stars using huge audiences, whilst Ayra Starr and BNXN have continued to broaden their alter.
“MMS” is nominated for Song of the Year, although “Jogodo” is up for Afrobeats One of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Alternative.
Much of that recognition is tied to his debut album, Catharsis.
Mavo
Mavo is another young artiste who has used collaborations to create momentum.
He is too in contention for Subsequent Rated, alongside Fido, FOLA, Llona and Shoday.
Asake
The 18th Headies, themed “Africa to the World,” is scheduled to take place in Toronto, Canada, on October 25, 2026.
The singer has continued to combine his significant sound including collaborations, keeping his music in circulation across streaming platforms and the wider Afrobeats scene.
His nominations reflect both the strength of Morayo and the attention surrounding his collaborations during the eligibility period.
Wizkid has seven nominations in whole, including Computerized Artiste of the Year and Top Male Artiste.
The singer leads this year’s nominations using 10 nods, including Computerized Artiste of the Year, Ideal Male Artiste, Upcoming Rated, Album of the Year, Optimal R&B Album, Top Recording of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Top Teamwork, Afrobeats One of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Option.
Chella is one of the newer names in this year’s Computerized Artiste of the Year synonyms.
It has been another period in which Asake has managed to remain firmly in the conversation by method of collaborations, performances and the continued popularity of his music.
His effort alongside Wizkid produced two of the records that capability prominently in this year’s nominations: “MMS” and “Jogodo.” “MMS” picked up a nomination for Song of the Year, whilst “Jogodo” is nominated for Afrobeats Only of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Option.
The nominees — Asake, Ayra Starr, BNXN, Chella, FOLA, Mavo, Seyi Vibez and Wizkid have all had remarkable moments during the eligibility period, whether through hit songs, albums, collaborations, performances or the growing shape of their music internet-based.
The album’s distribute was followed by multiple high-profile collaborations, including his labor including Asake on “MMS” and “Jogodo.”
Wizkid
Her Computerized Artiste of the Year nomination reflects the size of the community she has continued to create regarding her music, both in Nigeria and internationally.
His account “Escaladizzy” featuring Wave$tar is nominated for Ideal Teamwork and Headies Viewers’ Preference, whilst his association including CKay, “Body (Danz),” is furthermore nominated for Optimal Teamwork.
Ayra Starr
Seyi Vibez brings the sound and energy of Nigeria’s street-pop scene into the Digital Artiste of the Year synonyms.
Ayra Starr has had another busy period, balancing her solo music alongside high-profile collaborations and worldwide appearances.
FOLA furthermore earned a Ideal Instruction nomination for “Lost” using Kizz Daniel, whilst Catharsis is competing for both Album of the Year and Leading R&B Album.
The song’s production furthermore earned recognition throughout the Producer of the Year synonyms.
One of the biggest records attached to her Headies nominations is “Hot Body,” which received nominations for Song of the Year and Headies Viewers’ Option.
Their paths may be varied, but the widespread thread is the ability to turn music into conversations, streams, shares and sustained attention internet-based.
FOLA
Asake has remained one of the most observable names in Nigerian music, and his original run has been helped by some primary collaborations.
Chella’s nomination puts him in the same expression as Wizkid, Asake, Ayra Starr and BNXN, giving the emerging artiste an opening to compete alongside some of the sector’s biggest stars.
Seyi Vibez
His music has developed a powerful following amid listeners drawn to the indigenous sounds, street-pop culture and emotional storytelling that have become key to his identity.
Seyi Vibez’s presence in the Electronic Artiste synonyms is worthwhile owing to the detail that his resonate extends beyond mainstream Afrobeats.
If there is one artiste whose Headies nominations tell the story of a breakthrough year, it is FOLA.
His 10 nominations underline just how swiftly his profile has grown and build his Internet-based Artiste nomination an important element of his breakthrough year.
Mavo has seven nominations in entire, giving the emerging artiste one of the additional significant showings in the midst of the younger names at this year’s ceremony.
His album Morayo is nominated for both Album of the Year and Afrobeats Album of the Year, making the project one of the important bodies of labor recognised at this year’s ceremony.
Ayra Starr’s other nominations entail Leading Female Artiste and Top Performer (Live) for her appearance at the 2025 International Resident Festival.
BNXN’s campaign is anchored primarily approximately his album Captain, which earned a nomination for Afrobeats Album of the Year.
And that is what makes this year’s Web-based Artiste of the Year synonyms notably appealing: it is not easily on who released a widely used song. It reflects how each artiste linked alongside listeners and how powerfully that association translated into electronic visibility during the Headies eligibility period.
The singer’s music has continued to connect plainly including listeners, and his song “Shaolin” earned a nomination for Ideal Street-Hop Artiste.
She moreover joined forces alongside Rema on “Who’s Dat Girl,” including the song’s music video, directed by Meji Alabi, nominated for Music Video of the Year.
During the time that stars such as Wizkid, Asake and Ayra Starr already have huge audiences at home and internationally, emerging acts such as FOLA, Mavo and Chella have built much of their renewed momentum roughly songs that travelled speedily across streaming platforms and social media.
The synonyms is notably interesting owing to the point that the nominees have taken remarkably distinct routes to electronic relevance.
BNXN
His Red Bull Symphonic operation earned him a nomination for Ideal Performer (Live), whilst he is too nominated for Top Male Artiste alongside his Web-based Artiste of the Year nomination.
Asake’s sway has moreover prolonged beyond recorded music.
The Electronic Artiste of the Year wording is conceivably one of the clearest examples of how much Nigerian music has changed.
The article 18th Headies: Asake, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, FOLA, Seyi Vibez direct Digital Artiste of the Year race appeared earliest on Nigerian Entertainment Now.
Source: 18th Headies: Asake, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, FOLA, Seyi Vibez lead Digital Artiste of the Year race
