TheCable

Phyno and KCee are the top contenders for the ninth annual Headies awards with five nominations each, leading a lineup of nominees that also includes The Mavins, Burna Boy, Olamide, Tiwa Savage and Oritse Femi, who are all up for four awards.

Phyno, whose surprise album, ‘No Guts No Glory, jolted the music industry’s thinking about marketing, is one of the year’s best sellers, earning five nominations: Album of the Year, Best Rap Single, Best Rap Album, Artiste of the Year and Best Street-hop Artiste, for the song Alobam.

KCee, who has had a smooth year in the music industry, is nominated in five categories — Best Pop Single, Artiste of the Year, Best R&B/Pop album, Hip-Hop World Revelation and Song of the Year, for Pull Over.

In addition, Del B, the producer of KCee’s Pull Over, was nominated for Producer of the Year along with Don Jazzy (Dorobucci), Pheelz (Eleda Mi O), T-Spize (Aye), Legendury Beatz (Caro) and Shizzy (Skelewu).

Also up for album of the year are Sean Tizzle’s ‘The Journey’, Burna Boy’s ‘L.I.F.E’ and Olamide’s ‘Baddest Guy Ever Liveth’.

The Next Rated category has rapper Skales, dance hall artiste Patoranking, Runtown, Orezi and Yemi Alade.

An unusually-high number of tracks will compete for the Best Song of the Year. In addition to KCee’s Pull Over, others are Davido’s Aye, Oritse Femi’s Double Wahala, Dr. Sid’s Surulere, Yemi Alade’s Johnny and Dorobucci by the Mavins.

2Face Idibia’s Let Somebody Love You was also nominated for Record of the Year, as well as Nosa’s Always On My Mind and Cobhams’ Ordinary People and Iyawo Mi by Timi Dakolo. Timi Dakolo is up for a total of three awards, as are Jesse Jagz, Davido, Yemi Alade, Dr. Sid, Ice Prince, Nosa and winner of the 2013’s next rated category, Sean Tizzle.

In some of the other major races, Reminisce, Olamide and Jesse Jagz are up for Best Rap Album award; Sean Tizzle, Tiwa Savage, Sound Sultan and Burna Boy will compete for Best R&B/Pop Album; while BOJ, Black Magic, Ruby and Nosa are up for Best Alternative song.

The nominees for the Artiste of the Year are Davido, Wizkid, KCee, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, Phyno and Flavour.

South Africa’s Mafikizolo, Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz and Ghana’s Sarkodie and R2Bees will vie for the Best African Artiste category.

Since the inception of the Headies, artistes with the most wins at the prestigious awards are Modenine  (nine), P-Square (seven), 2Face Idibia (six), D’banj (five), M.I (five), 9ice (five), Wande Coal (five), Jude Okoye (five), Asa (four), Timaya – (four) and Darey (four).

The awards will be hosted by actress Toke Makinwa and comedian Bovi Ugboma.

Ayo Animashaun The CEO of Smooth Promotions, organisers of the Headies, said the decision on this year’s selection of hosts for the awards was undeniably a well-deserved selection, as Bovi and Toke Makinwa have both made a huge impact in the industry with their outstanding skills and talent.

“Guests are definitely in for a world class experience this year,” he said.

Previously known as the Hip Hop world awards, The Headies, since debuting in 2006, has become one of the most anticipated events of every year.

The awards ceremony is currently the biggest award ceremony in the country. Within the space of six years, it has cemented itself as the authentic awards’ brand and has continued to deliver an annual awards ceremony that has never failed to dazzle, inspire, excite and entertain.