Nigerian artists receive 2026 music award nominations

In August 2026, several prominent Nigerian artists received nominations for major music awards.

Burna Boy and Tems were nominated for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. Burna Boy received nominations in the Best Collaboration and Best Latin categories for ‘Dai Dai’, a collaboration with Shakira. Tems was nominated for Best R&B for ‘Raindance’. This awards cycle noted the removal of the dedicated Best Afrobeats category from the MTV lineup.

Following this, the 18th Headies Awards released their nomination list for a ceremony scheduled to be held in Canada. Leading the nominations were Davido, Wizkid, and Burna Boy. Davido received multiple nominations, including Song of the Year and Afrobeats Single of the Year for ‘With You’. Wizkid was nominated for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, and Afrobeats Album of the Year. Burna Boy was nominated for Best Male Artiste, Afrobeats Album of the Year, and Afrobeats Single of the Year. Other nominees included Ayra Starr, Asake, and Rema, alongside several emerging artists in the Next Rated category.