Headies Winners Review By Mackson Okotie

Album of the YearEverybody Loves Ice Prince (E.L.I) – Ice Prince>>The Invasion – P-Square – *WINNER*
Superstar – Wizkid
Super C Season – Naeto C

Personally, I felt Wizkid should have walked away with this Award considering that his Album Had more hit songs than E.L.I  or any other album in this category. It is obviously the Fans favorite. Probably in terms of sales it failed but in every other aspect it got an A. Reason Why it didn’t win Album of the Year remains Unknown.

Artiste of the Year
P-Square>>Wizkid – *WINNER*
Ice Prince
Naeto C
D’banj

In this category, picking a winner should give even the best of Judges Headache. Every artiste here holds a good ground to be voted as Artiste of the year. But For the last year in Question, I felt Wizkid deserves to win again. Reasons that he had almost all Released tracks of his on Repeat on fan’s Playlists, He did more collaborations with local and international artistes, He released Hit songs Almost every month stamping his feet as a regular hit maker. In short No one else deserves to have taken this award apart from Star Boy Wizzy.

Song of the YearChop My Money – P-Square Featuring Akon & May D
Dami Duro – Davido>>Oliver Twist – D’banj –  *WINNER*
Gaga Crazy – Chuddy K
Kukere – Iyanya

Another difficult category I must say because all songs were Anthems at one point or the other. The reason I felt D’banj won this category was probably because of the foreign exploits Oliver twist had. Oh well that doesn’t mean other songs weren’t as good as Oliver twist. I guess that’s why the Classes Of Good Better and best were Created. Congrats D’banj !!!

Recording of the Year
Stupid Song  - Bez Featuring Praiz
Private Trips - Wande Coal>>Ara – Brymo – *WINNER*
Praiz – I Love You

Quite easy for Brymo in this category everyone obviously knew he was going to get this award. Stupid song by Bez and Private Trips by Wande were the only songs that stood a chance but Ara was a better deal from Brymo. Congrats Olawale.

Producer of the Year
Cobhams – Stupid Song by Bez Featuring Praiz>>Tee-Y Mix – Super C Season by Naeto C – *WINNER*
Shizzy – Dami Duro by Davido
Jay Sleek – Private Trips by Wande Coal

Jesse Jags- E.L.I

For the songs/Album attached to every producer in this category I felt Shizzy should have easily walked away with the award cos he did a good job on Dami Duro. Tee Y mix wasn’t so immense with the whole Super c season album by Naeto C. Jay sleek stood no chance nor Cobhams to me. I still wonder why Sarz Or D’tunes didn’t make this list.

Best Music Video (Video Director)
5 & 6 (Naeto C) – Clarence Peters>>Chop My Money Remix (P-Square) – Jude “Engees” Okoye – *WINNER*
Ara (Brymo) – Ajeh
Kosorombe (Dipp Featuring Da Grin) – Mex

Chop my Money would easily walk over any other Video in this category. Ignoring the fact that it featured the Big boss himself (*Grunts Hunh*) The delivery and production was something else. Ara by Aje to me lacked the qualities of a good video.(Idea’s Or a good story line) No doubt 5 & 6 stood as a contender but it lacked what it had to Steal the Award off Jude Engees Okoye. Nice Video, Nice decision.

Best R&B Single
Private Trips – Wande Coal
Stupid Song – Bez
Nawti – Olu Maintain>>Soundtrack – May D – *WINNER*
Love Me (3X) – Tiwa Savage

To me, the main contender here was between May D and Olu Maintain. All other tracks were big but Those two stands out as contenders. I would have gone for Nawti by Olu Maintain considering the impact the song created in the minds of fans, Soundtrack would definitely steal the show. It was a track that lasted for Months On the Lips of fans and Enjoyed massive airplay. Apart from the Video of Nawti, I don’t think it deserves the Award. It should Have been put in the Best Music Video Category instead.

Best Pop Single
Dami Duro – Davido
Oliver Twist – D’Banj
Gaga Crazy – Chuddy K
Chop My Money – P-Square>>Kukere – Iyanya – *WINNER*

Very tight Category I must say and if it goes to Kukere By Iyanya, let it be so. But all singles were tight. Nice one.

Best R&B/Pop Album
Superstar – Wizkid
Super Sun – Bez
Versus – 9ice>>The Invasion – P-Square – *WINNER*

Without thinking twice, I would definitely pick Superstar by Wizkid, it had more hits than any other album in that category. It was the Fan’s choice. Eeryone knows but Why Invasion won is still a mystery to me. It was by all means a weaker album to Superstar. Wizkid Clearly deserves this maybe not this time tho

Best Rap Single
Too Much Money – Iceberg Slim
Shutdown – PhynoAngeli – Vector ft. 9ice – *WINNER*
Oh My Gosh – Yung6ix
Young Erikina – Olamide

Another Category I choose to differ. Yung6ix definitely deserves this award or at least Olamide but I know it wouldn’t hve gone easily to vector. Iceberg slim should have stood a chance because Too Much Money was a really good track too. I really don’t know why Angeli should have won.

Best Rap Album
Everybody Loves Ice Prince (E.L.I) – Ice Prince – *WINNER*
The Dreamer Project – Show Dem Camp
Rapsodi – Olamide
Super C Season – Naeto C

This is quite an easy category for E.L.I to grab. No real rap album to contest *Sigh* E.L.I won but to me it definitely isn’t a rap album. Maybe I would blame other rappers for Gifting Ice prince this award by not putting out competitive Rap Albums to the Market. Enjoy Ice!!! But this Category is still a shame and a disgrace to Nigerian Rap as a whole.

Lyricist on the Roll
Vector – Angeli – *WINNER*
Yung6ix – Oh My Gosh
Iceberg Slim – Too Much Money
Phyno – Shutdown
Erigga – Mo Street Gan

Vector clearly deserves this award. He has shown consistency when it comes to Lyrical quality. He definitely had no opponent here. On the Other hand Yung6ix and the rest always weren’t Constant with their lyrical delivery; Vector has clearly shown what it takes to be a Real Lyricist. Shout out to Mode9 tho.

Best Collabo
Chop My Money Remix – P-Square Featuring Akon & May-D
Angeli – Vector Featuring 9ice
Carolina – Sauce Kid Featuring Davido
Stupid Song – Bez Featuring PraizOrobo – Sound Sultan Featuring Excel & Flavour – *WINNER*

The choice of Orobo as winner still baffles me. In a group where we had Chop my Money Remix ft. Akon and Carolina by Sauce kid Ft Davido. This definitely isn’t a good option at all. I choose to differ.

Best Vocal Performance (Male)Wande Coal – Private Trips – *WINNER*
Banky W – Low Key
Praiz – I Love You
Brymo – Ara
Bez – Stupid Song

Tight Group I must say, pretty hard to pick a winner because all here stands a good chance. But with all I have heard so far from them I still stand by Wande. Good song, Nice Voice, Great Video. What else do you Want???

Best Vocal Performance (Female)
Tiwa Savage – Love Me, Love, Love Me – *WINNER*
Chidinma – Kedike
Ijeoma – Oloomi
Waje – Na The Way

Sexy Tiwa was definitely going to come out tops. I mean vocally, very few Female artistes would stand up to her. Much respect to Omawunmi and Co. But in this Group No way. Tiwa definitely had to Take the Award Home. Good Decision.

African Artist of the Year (Non- Nigerian Category)
Sarkodie (Ghana) – Azonto Fiesta – *WINNER*Camp Mulla (Kenya) – Feel No Pain
D-Black (Ghana) – Get On The Dance Floor
Zahara (South Africa)- Loliwe

Hard-working Sarkodie Got this one to add to his Accolades. He has been winning Awards of late so this comes as no surprise to me. He’s more popular than any other Nominee in that Category and has dropped more hit tracks that rocked this part of Africa. Am pretty sure, The Azonto swag helped him here. Lol

Best Street Hop
Kako Bi Chicken – ReminisceGaga Crazy – Chuddy K – *WINNER*
Akpako – Terry G
Roll – Rayce
Mo Street Gan – Erigga

Very Tough Category too, Hard to decide as well. I thought Reminisce would have taken this with his Street Anthem, Kako Bi Chicken. Too bad for him Gaga Crazy Got the Award. Reasons, I don’t know. But when You say “Street” C’mon I expected Reminisce to smile home with that award.

Next Rated
Davido - *WINNER*
Eva Alordiah
Praiz

Easy one for Davido I guess. He has been on every ones lips (For a good reason or otherwise) this Last year in Review coupled with hits like Back When and Dami duro. What other good way could he have announced his arrival into the Industry. Eva and Praiz on the other hand did very little to challenge for this award. Yes they dropped a couple of singles, But were they good enough to challenge for the award?

Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year
Wizkid – *WINNER*
Ice Prince
Bez
Timi Dakolo
Olamide

By all standards, Wizkid has been on fire this last year and even till now, his constant release of hits with Popular and Unpopular artistes (Permit me to use the word “Unpopular”) proved to be a source of his undying love from fans. Ice prince and others came good in the last year too but not good enough to contest with Wizkid. Nice One Wizzy.

Headies Hall of Fame
Special recognition for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry - Femi Kuti

Who else would have been honored with this…Err any suggestions??? Well maybe Next year. Lol

By @MrLewinOkotie.