A total of 14 contestants have secured spots to the Y’ello Star Hub as the season heats up.
After the first seven contestants secured a spot in the hub, seven more contestants secured spots to make 14 talents currently in the Y’ello Star Hub.
Contrary to the initially announced 13 spots in the Y’ello Star Hub, the judging trio of Omawumi, Banky W, and Olisa Adibua made a surprise selection bringing the number of finalists to 14.
Rakel and Innocent were the first pair to grace the stage for the sing-off to secure a spot in the Y’ello Star hub. They performed a blend of popular Nigerian songs. Afterward, the duo of Caesar and Rael took to the stage and impressed guest judge Olisa Adibua who rated their performance highly. The pair of Gideon and IBK was applauded by Banky W for their synergy in delivering their song mashup. Before carrying on with other performances, the judges had a little chit chat about music distribution, sharing opinions about what drives virality. They reached a consensus that all music distribution channels play a role, from radio, visuals, and social media.
After three more pairs of contestants performed for the night, all 12 contestants were invited individually to the stage for a final verdict. The MTN Y’ello Star team has added some colour to how final verdict are passed, designing different doors which light up based on the judges’ decision. David, Rael, Caesar, Uzezi, Fay Fay, and Gideon all received a nod and walked through the ‘Yes’ door. A highlight of Saturday’s show featured the judges using their veto power to select a 14th contestant, Jesse Drumz, the visually impaired singer who had wowed everyone right from his audition days.
Sunday’s opening gala kicked off with a performance by the 14 contestants who performed the Y’ello star theme song, after which the hosts, Tobi Bakre and Hilda Baci officially welcomed everyone to the Y’ello Star Hub.
BBNaija star, Princess Onyejekwe, has revealed that she was approached for marriage by billionaire businessman, Ned Nwoko, but she rejected his advances.
Ned Nwoko is a Nigerian billionaire businessman and polygamist who has six wives. He is married to Nigerian actress, Regina Daniels, a union which has placed him more in the limelight.
Princess Onyejekwe recently took to social media to reveal that she was done dating for love, and during an engagement with a follower in the comment section of her post, she revealed that she was approached by Ned Nwoko, when she was much younger, but rejected his offer because she didn’t have sense. She wrote in her Instagram handle:
“Can I officially state that i am done dating for love…
I mean i am now only available for self investments / intensive funding.
Best regards.”
A social media user would then ask if she would accept a proposal from Ned Nwoko and she wrote in response;
“he did when I was younger. I didn’t have sense”
Ned Nwoko recently revealed that he met Regina Daniels for the first time when the actress came visiting with her mother at his home, noting that his home was/is a tourist attraction.. and then he proceeded to marry her without hesitating.
The politician during an interview disclosed that he’s not of the opinion that a couple should date in any form before marriage, as it takes away the excitement of learning each other, when they finally marry.
Ned Nwoko said that even the cultural practice of his native town supports this as in the past, marriages were arranged by family members with the intending couple not getting to meet each other until the day of their wedding
He further stated that Regina Daniels knows that he can marry another wife if he chooses to.
The Headies, Nigeria’s most prestigious music award that celebrates excellence in the Nigerian music industry, has returned for its 14th year. It covers music released between July 2019 to September 2020.
At the event each year, fans and artistes look forward to two of the most sought after awards in the Nigerian music industry, ‘Next Rated’ and ‘Rookie of the year’. Many winners of that category like Wizkid, Davido, and Mayorkun have successful careers. The Next-rated list covers an elite set of fast-rising stars who have performed exceptionally this year. This includes Tems, Omah Lay, Oxlade, Bella Shmurda. Big Brother Naija Lockdown winner, Laycon, who many touted as a possible winner for the award didn’t make the list.
After years of consideration, the organisers of the Headies also included a new nomination category “Songwriter of the year”. A statement on the awards website says that they created the category ‘to bring to the limelight hardworking individuals who have all significantly supported the creation of quality music’.
The Headies will announce a date for the award ceremony where they will reveal the winners of the various categories.
The full list of nominees for this year’s Headies Awards is below:
1. BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.
OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO
SMILE – WIZKID FEAT. HER
WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY
DREAMER – FIREBOY DML
GHOST TOWN – WURLD
2. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual who is responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI
SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE
KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY
SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD
3. BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.
GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ
ILLY CHAPO X – ILLBLISS
YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP
CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO
THE ERIGMA II – ERIGGA
4. BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML
I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD
KING – PRAIZ
BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
CELIA – TIWA SAVAGE
5. BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
YELLOW – BRYMO
LUCID – ASA
THE LIGHT – BEZ
PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI
ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN
6. BEST POP ALBUM
A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO
WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
7. BEST MUSIC VIDEO
A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.
ELI – FIREBOY BY CLARENCE PETERS
1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K
SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI
BILLIONAIRE – TENI BY TG OMORI
SHEKERE – YEMI ALADE BY OVIE ETSEYATSE
8. BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ
DUDUKE – SIMI
MAD – SARZ & WURLD
BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY
TATTOO – FIREBOY DML
DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE
9. BEST COLLABO
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD
DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN
TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE
GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ
10. BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
OGB4IG – REMINISCE
SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ
COUNTRY – ILLBLISS
GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM
BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS
11. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)
A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.
WURLD – GHOST TOWN
CHIKE – FORGIVE
PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY
COHBAMS – PLENTI
NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE
JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU
12. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL
LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE
NINIOLA – ADDICTED
J-DESS – CHI EFO
YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI
IMANSE – AJALA
13. HEADIES REVELATION
A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.
VICTOR AD
FIREBOY DML
JOEBOY
TENI
REMA
CHIKE
14. LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.
AQ – EUNICE
BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2
MI ABAGA – TRINITY
ILL BLISS – COUNTRY
PHENOM – GET THE INFO
PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE
15. BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.
NAIRA MARLEY & YOUNG JOHN – MAFO
MAYORKUN – GENG
REMINISCE FEAT. OLAMIDE & NAIRA MARLEY – INSTAGRAM
RUDEBOY – AUDIO MONEY
IVD & ZLATAN – BOLANLE
OLAMIDE – PAWON
16. BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG
A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.
CORNER – LADY DONLI FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN
I WONDER – MOELOGO
BITTER – DEENA ADE
ANITA – THE CAVEMEN
MONEY DEVOTION – GBASKY
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN – OLU
17. ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in the year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
YELLOW – BRYMO
BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
18. AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION
A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.
MASTER KG
KUAMI EUGENE
SAUTI SOL
SHAATA WALE
STONEBWOY
19. HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE
A voting category to award the fan’s favourite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.
DAVIDO
OMAH LAY
BURNA BOY
FALZ
FIREBOY DML
MAYORKUN
DJ NEPTUNE
WIZKID
20. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.
OLAKIRA
ALPHA P
JAMOPYPER
ZINOLEESKY
BAD BOY TIMZ
21. BEST POP SINGLE
A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).
BILLIONAIRE – TENI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI.
LADY – REMA
FEM – DAVIDO
JORO – WIZKID
SKELETUN – TEKNO
22. SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
FEM – DAVIDO
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
JORO – WIZKID
MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY
DUDUKE – SIMI
23. NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.
TEMS
OMAH LAY
OXLADE
BELLA SHMURDA
24. ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. The overall most successful artiste in the year under review.
BURNA BOY
DAVIDO
WIZKID
MAYORKUN
TIWA SAVAGE
25. HEADIES SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.
SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)
ADEDAMOLA ADEFOLAHAN (FIREBOY DML DML – DREAMER)
DAMINI OGULU (BURNA BOY – WAY TOO BIG)
STANLEY OMAH DIDIA (OMAH LAY – BAD INFLUENCE)
SADIQ ONIFADE (WURLD – GHOST TOWN)
ADEKUNLE KOSOKO (1 MILLION – DAVIDO)
26. HALL OF FAME
Special recognition to an individual for excellence and outstanding impact on the entertainment industry.
KING SUNNY ADE
27. SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
Special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact on the entertainment industry.
