Fola, Shoday, Mavo, Fido and Llona make the 2026 Headies Next Rated shortlist as rising Nigerian stars compete for the coveted award

Fola, Shoday, Mavo, Fido and Llona have been nominated for the Next Rated category at the 18th Headies Awards, putting five emerging Nigerian artistes in contention for one of the country’s most closely watched music honours.

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The 2026 Headies nominees were announced on Tuesday, August 25, with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Canada.

The Next Rated category recognises emerging artistes who have made a significant impact on the Nigerian music scene and are regarded as potential leading figures in the industry.

Fola enters the race with an impressive nomination haul. His song You is also nominated for Afrobeats Single of the Year and Best Recording of the Year, while his album Catharsis is in contention for Best R&B Album.

The singer also received nominations for Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Best Headies Collaboration and Writer of the Year, making him one of the most recognised emerging artistes at this year’s ceremony.

Shoday earned his Next Rated nomination following the growing attention around his music, particularly Hey Jago, a collaboration with Poco Lee and Rahman Jago.

The song is also nominated for Song of the Year and Best Headies Collaboration, highlighting Shoday’s growing presence alongside established names in the Nigerian music industry.

Mavo has similarly enjoyed a strong showing. Alongside his Next Rated nomination, he is competing for Digital Artiste of the Year and Best Male Artiste.

His collaboration with CKay, Body (Danz), is nominated for Best Headies Collaboration, while Wuse Tu with Zaylevelten is in contention for Rap Single of the Year.

Fido completes another strong nomination profile among the five contenders. His song Joy Is Coming is nominated for Song of the Year, while Fun is competing for Afrobeats Single of the Year.

Llona rounds off the shortlist after building a growing following with his music and establishing himself among the emerging artistes attracting attention across Nigeria’s contemporary music scene.

The 2026 Headies Next Rated race comes against the backdrop of a particularly competitive set of nominations, with established stars and younger performers featuring across several major categories.

The Song of the Year nominees are Kunmie’s Arike, Hey Jago by Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago, Ayra Starr’s Hot Body, Fido’s Joy Is Coming, MMS by Asake and Wizkid, and Davido and Omah Lay’s With You.

For Afrobeats Single of the Year, the nominees are Rema’s Fun, Asake and Wizkid’s Jogodo, Shallipopi’s Laho, Davido and Omah Lay’s With You, Fola’s You and Burna Boy’s Bundle by Bundle.

The Best R&B Album category features Kunmie’s Before We Became Strangers, Fola’s Catharsis, Qing Madi’s I Am the Blueprint, Tems’ Love Is a Kingdom, Tay Iwar’s Reflection Station and Tiwa Savage’s This One Is Personal.

Digital Artiste of the Year nominees are Asake, Ayra Starr, BNXN, Chella, Fola, Mavo, Seyi Vibez and Wizkid.

The Next Rated award has historically attracted considerable attention because it offers recognition to artistes at an important stage of their careers, when growing popularity is beginning to translate into wider industry influence.

With the 18th Headies taking place in Canada, the ceremony will also provide an international platform for the nominated artistes and the wider Nigerian music industry.

For Fola, Shoday, Mavo, Fido and Llona, the nomination itself marks a significant milestone.

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The eventual winner, however, will have the opportunity to emerge from the competitive field as one of the industry’s most promising new voices.