Headies Award 2022 Nominees: Eddy Kenzo for ”Best East African Artiste of the Year”

The nominees for the 2022 Headies Awards were revealed on Tuesday, with songs like Wizkid’s “Essence” and Ayra Starr’s “Bloody Samaritan” scoring multiple nominations each.

KAMPALA | LIFESTYLE UGANDA — The long-awaited list of Headies Award nominees for 2022 was released on Tuesday, 24 May 2022. Wizkid’s “Essence” and Ayra Starr’s “Blood Samaritan” both received multiple nominations.

Wizkid x Tems’ ‘Essence’ is nominated in the following categories: Best Recording Of The Year, Best R&B single, Best Vocal Performance (Female), Best Collaboration, Headies’ Viewers’ Choice, and Song Of The Year, among others.

The song ‘Bloody Samaritan’ by Ayra Starr is competing for the Headies’ Best Afrobeat, Single Of The Year, and Headies’ Viewers’ Choice awards.

Eddy Kenzo, nominated for the “Best East African Artist of The Year” award, will represent Uganda at the 2022 Headies award.

Kenzo will face stiff competition from fellow East African heavy-hitters like Diamond Platinumz, Harmonize, and Zuchu from Tanzania, as well as Rwanda’s Meddy and Nikita Kering from Kenya.

The Headies Award announced the 2022 nominees on its Instagram page ahead of the ceremony, which will be held for the first time in the United States of America.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Cumberland/Galleria edge city in northwest Atlanta, Georgia, will host the “Join the Movement” award ceremony this year.

Below are the nominees for the 2022 Headies Award.

Rookie Of The Year

1. AV
2. Fave
3. Magixx
4. Portable
5. Ugoccie

Best Recording Of The Year

1. “Celebrate Me” – Patoranking
2. “Essence” – Wizkid Ft Tems
3. “Joy” – Falana
4. “Loving Is Harder” – Johnny Drille
5. “Meji Meji” – Brymo
6. “Somebody’s Son” – Tiwa Savage Ft Brandy

Producer Of The Year

1. Beats By Jayy – “Golden” (A-Q)
2. Blaise Beatz – “Sinner” (Adekunle Gold Feat. Lucky Daye)
3. Niphkeys – “Feel Good” (Mohbad)
4. P Priime – “Ozumba Mbadiwe” (Reekado Banks)
5. Pheelz – “High” (Adekunle Gold Feat. Davido)

Best R&B single

1. “Baby Riddim” – Fave
2. “Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr Feat. Ckay
3. “Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems
4. “Running (To You)” – Chike Feat. Simi
5. “Promise” – Niniola
6. “Sinner” – Adekunle Gold Feat. Luck Daye

Songwriter Of The Year

1. Adekunle Gold – “Sinner”
2. Ajebo Hustlers – “Loyalty”
3. Brymo – “Meji Meji”
4. Falana – “Joy”
5. Fireboy Dml – “Peru”
6. Omah Lay – “Understand”

Best Alternative Song

1. “Doings” – Flavour
2. “Free Your Mind” – Made Kuti
3. “Gonto” – Ibejii
4. “Hustle” – Basketmouth, The Cavemen, Bez, Dice Ailes
5. “Meji Meji” – Brymo
6. “Selense” – The Cavemen

Best Vocal Performance (Female)

1. Ayra Starr – “Toxic”
2. Liya – “Alari”
3. Niniola – “6th Heaven”
4. Simi – “Running (To You)”
5. Tems – “Essence”
6. Waje – “Last Time”

Best Vocal Performance (Male)

1. Brymo – “Meji Meji”
2. Johnny Drille – “Loving Is Harder”
3. Oxlade – “Ojuju”
4. Ric Hassani – “When I’m Gone”
5. Tay Iwar – “Peaking”

Best Music Video

1. “Champion” – (Fireboy Dml Feat. D Smoke) Directed By Tg Omori
2. “Ginger” – (Wizkid Feat. Burna Boy) Directed By Meji Alabi
3. “Roju” – (Chike) Directed By Pink
4. “Rain” – (Yemi Alade Feat. Mzansi Youth Choir) Directed By Ovie Etseyatse
5. “Bling” – (Blaqbonez Feat. Amaarae & Bnxn) Directed By Tg Omori
6. “Running” – (Ladipoe Feat. Fireboy Dml) Directed By Director K

Best Collaboration

1. “Beggie Beggie” – Ayra Starr Feat. Ckay
2. “Bling” – Blaqbonez Feat. Amaarae & Bnxn
3. “Early Momo” – Vector Feat. Goodgirl LA
4. “Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems
5.  “Feeling” – Ladipoe Feat. Bnxn
6. “Running (To You)” – Chike Feat. Simi

Best Street-Hop Artiste

1. Bella Shmurda – “Cash App” Feat. Zlatan & Lincoln
2. Rexxie & Mohbad – “Kpk”
3. Mohbad – “Feel Good”
4. Naira Marley – “Koleyewon”
5. Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano (Remix)”
6. Poco Lee, Portable & Olamide – “Zazoo Zehh”

Best Afrobeats Single Of The Year

1. “Bloody Samaritan” – Ayra Starr
2. “Bounce” – Ruger
3. “High” – Adekunle Gold Feat. Davido
4. “Monalisa” – Lojay & Sarz
5. “Ozumba Mbadiwe” – Reekado Banks
6. “Peru” – Fireboy Dml

Headies’ Viewer’s Choice

1. Ayra Starr – “Bloody Samaritan”
2. Fireboy – “Peru” ( @Fireboydml )
3. Joeboy – “Sip”
4. Lojay & Sarz – “Monalisa”
5. Nektunez & Goya Menor – “Ameno Amapiano (Remix)”
6. Olamide Feat. Omah Lay – “Infinity”
7. Rema – “Soundgasm”
8. Wizkid Feat. Tems – “Essence”

Best West African Artiste Of The Year

1. Amaarae (Ghana)
2. Angelique Kidjo (Benin)
3. Aya Nakamura (Mali)
4. Gyakie (Ghana)
5. Kidi (Ghana)
6. Nelson Freitas (Cape Verde)

Best East African Artiste Of The Year

1. Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)
2. Eddy Kenzo (Uganda)
3. Harmonize (Tanzania)
4. Meddy (Rwanda)
5. Nikita Kering (Kenya)
6. Zuchu (Tanzania)

Best North African Artiste Of The Year

1. Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia)
2. Elgrandetoto (Morocco)
3. Latifa (Tunisia)
4. Manal (Morocco)
5. Muhamad Ramadan (Egypt)
6. Soolking (Algeria)

Best Southern African Artiste Of The Year

1. Black Coffee (South Africa)
2. Dj Tarico (Mozambique)
3. Elaine (South Africa)
4. Focalistic (South Africa)
5. Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe)
6. Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)

Best Afrobeats Album

1. “19 And Dangerous” – Ayra Starr
2. “A Better Time” – Davido
3. “Barnabas” – Kizz Daniel
4. “Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition)” – Wizkid
5. “Kpos Lifestyle” – Ajebo Hustlers
6. “Wondaland” – Teni

Best Reggae & Dancehall Album

1. “Gratitude” – Timaya
2. “Love Is War” – Prettyboy D-O
3. “Rainbow Riddim” – Shank
4. “Three” – Patoranking
5. “Yaadman Kingsize” – Yung L

Best R&B Album

1. “Before We Fall Asleep” – Johnny Drille
2. “If Orange Was A Place” – Tems
3. “Love Deep High Life” – Omawumi
4. “Rising” – Falana
5. “The Prince I Became” – Ric Hassani
6. “Water And Garri” – Tiwa Savage

Best Alternative Album

1. “9: Esan” – Brymo
2. “Intermission” – Ibejii
3. “Legacy +” – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
4. “Love And Highlife” – The Cavemen
5. “P.S. Thank You For Waiting” – Wavy The Creator
6. “Yabasi” – Basketmouth

Best Rap Album

1. “Carpe Diem” – Olamide
2. “Clone Wars Vol. 5 – The Algorhythm” – Show Dem Camp
3. “Golden” – A-Q
4. “Mafia Culture, Vol. 2.0” – Idowest
5. “Providence” – Ladipoe
6. “Sex Over Love” – Blaqbonez

Album Of The Year

1. “9: Esan” – Brymo
2. “19 & Dangerous” – Ayra Starr
3. “Carpe Diem” – Olamide
4. “Legacy +” – Femi Kuti & Made Kuti
5. “Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition)” – Wizkid
6. “Yabasi” – Basketmouth

Song Of The Year

1. “Celebrate Me” – Patoranking
2. “Doings” – Flavour Feat. Phyno
3. “Essence” – Wizkid Feat. Tems
4. “High” – Adekunle Gold Feat. Davido
5. “Monalisa” – Lojay & Sarz
6. “Peru” – Fireboy Dml

Best Female Artiste

1. Simi
2. Tems
3. Tiwa Savage
4. Teni
5. Niniola

Best Male Artiste

1. Adekunle Gold
2. Burna Boy
3. Davido
4. Flavour
5. Olamide
6. Wizkid

Next Rated

1. Ayra Starr
2. Bnxn
3. Lojay
4. Ruger
5. Zinoleesky

African Artiste Of The Year

1. Black Coffee (Nigeria)
2. Burna Boy (Nigeria)
3. Davido (Nigeria)
4. Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)
5. Soolking (Algeria)
6. Wizkid (Nigeria)
7. Aya Nakamura (Mali )

Lyricist On The Roll

1. A-Q – “The Last Cypher”
2. Blaqbonez – “The Last Cypher”
3. Jesse Jagz – “Vipers”
4. Ladipoe – “Providence”
5. Payper Corleone – “In Don We Trust”
6. Vector – “Crown Of Clay”

Humanitarian Award Of The Year

1. 2face Idibia
2. Ruggedman
3. Davido
4. Don Jazzy

East Central African Artiste Of The Year

1. Calema (Sao Tome & Principe)
2. Blanche Bailly (Cameroon)
3. Dadju (Dr Congo)
4. Fally Ipupa (Dr Congo)
5. Innoss’b (Dr Congo)
6. Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

Best Rap Single

1. “Breathe” – A-Q Feat Chike
2. “Crown Of Clay” – Vector & Mi Abaga Feat. Pheelz
3. “Early Momo” – Vector Feat. Goodgirl LA
4. “Feeling” – Ladipoe Feat. Bnxn
5. “Tycoon” – Show Dem Camp – Feat. Reminisce & Mojo
6. “Loading” – Olamide Feat Bad Boy Timz