The 18th Headies Awards will take place in Toronto, Canada, marking the third time in four years that the event has left Nigeria.
After holding editions in Atlanta in 2022 and 2023, the awards returned to Nigeria in April 2025. The 17th edition, themed “Back to Base,” was hosted at Lagos’ Landmark Event Centre. Many perceived it as an apology and a step toward correcting course.
This goodwill lasted about a year. During a press briefing in Victoria Island on June 15, Headies founder Ayo Animashaun announced that the 18th edition would be held in Toronto. 
Since the awards originated in Nigeria and celebrate Nigerian music, this move has sparked renewed debate.
What Ayo Animashaun Said
Ayo Animashaun, the founder of The Headies, issued a statement explaining the decision.
“We are taking The Headies to Toronto because African music is now a global force, and the institutions that celebrate it must grow with it,” he said. “Toronto offers the partnerships, infrastructure, international visibility, and economic support needed to present The Headies at the scale that African music merits.”
He addressed concerns directly: “Lagos will always be home. The Headies was born in Nigeria, built in Nigeria, and its roots remain firmly planted there. This is not about leaving Nigeria. It’s about expanding Nigeria’s cultural footprint.” He concluded with what has now become the show’s unofficial slogan for this edition: “Nigeria Born. Africa Loud. Toronto Proud. Africa to the World.”
He also confirmed that the main Toronto ceremony will be streamed live alongside a watch party in Lagos, allowing Nigerian fans to participate as the event unfolds abroad. Travel company Wakanow has partnered with the organisers to assist fans wishing to travel to Canada.
What Nigerians Are Saying
The announcement was met with immediate backlash across social media. Many fans saw the move as a betrayal of the award’s identity.
iirene_reina on Instagram summed up the frustration: “African music is a global force, but global recognition shouldn’t mean moving our biggest cultural platforms away from the continent. Africa shouldn’t keep creating the culture while others host the celebration. Many African cities and countries can host The Headies. Let’s deepen our roots, strengthen our ecosystem, and build Africa as we expand to the world. Africa should remain the primary stage for its own story.”
iamprinzsheddy was more direct: “Not a good idea. The one held in the US flopped and affected the award drastically and now this?”
The US comparison keeps coming up in the comments, and it is not unfounded. The 15th and 16th editions in Atlanta were widely criticized for poor production quality, low attendance, and a general sense that the show lost something by leaving the energy of a Nigerian audience behind.
Opinions were divided on the Grammy comparison that some users made.
Bakam Bk Adamsz argued: “The Grammys are always in the US and it brings people from all over the world. Why not do the same and let the world come? Encourage tourism to Nigeria, build immovable structures, and let the world come and experience us.”
Ayemere Kelly pushed back hard: “This is another step of colonization. The Grammys can never leave the USA for any country.”
Theo-Iwalokun Olaitan raised the sharpest question of all: “How many times has any Canadian musical organisation brought their musical promotion to Nigeria?”
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Are the critics right, or does the founder have a point?
Both sides have a real argument, which is what makes this genuinely complicated.
The critics are right that there is something deeply contradictory about an award show built to celebrate Nigerian music choosing to do that celebrating outside Nigeria two out of every three years. The Grammys have never left America. The BET Awards have never left America. These shows understand that part of their cultural authority comes from being immovable, from being a destination that the world travels to, not an institution that travels to the world.
There is also a practical concern because the Atlanta editions underperformed, and returning to the same model of hosting abroad while hoping international visibility compensates for the lost local energy doesn’t obviously fix what went wrong.
On the other hand, Animashaun’s point about infrastructure and economic support isn’t trivial. Hosting a show of this scale in Nigeria comes with real costs and logistical challenges that don’t disappear just because the audience wants it to stay home. Toronto’s resources, partnerships, and large Nigerian diaspora make it a credible choice. Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria even stated that Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Olamide, Shallipopi, Asake, and Ayra Starr have all performed in Canada, which is proof of that existing audience. This makes Toronto a strong option if the goal is genuinely international exposure rather than retreating from the home crowd.
The question is whether the show can learn from what went wrong in Atlanta and deliver something in Toronto that actually justifies the move. A watch party in Lagos is a gesture, not a solution. The real test will be whether the Toronto production matches the ambition of the announcement.
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Who could win this year?
Nominations haven’t dropped yet, but predictions are already circulating. Based on the Nigerian music landscape over the past year, a few names feel almost certain. Ayra Starr had one of the most globally visible runs of any Nigerian artist, won at the 17th edition, and will likely lead the conversation for Best Female Artiste. Rema, Asake, and Burna Boy never seem far from the list, and Rema and Burna Boy are expected to dominate wherever they appear. Wizkid and Davido remain major forces too, while newer acts like Shallipopi and Seyi Vibez (who built serious momentum in 2025) could land their first major nods in Next Rated or breakthrough categories. Odumodublvck, who won Next Rated last year, will likely shift into other major categories this time.
Beyond Nigeria, The Headies’ Pan-African categories have expanded as South African and East African scenes grow. Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz and Juma Jux, plus South Africa’s Tyla, could all be in the mix.
The full picture will only become clear when nominations are out.
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