The 18th edition of the Headies Awards is scheduled to hold on October 25, in Toronto, Canada. Launched in 2006 as The Hip Hop World Award, this year’s edition marks the 20th anniversary of the award ceremony. Earlier last year, Ayo Animashaun-led Smooth Promotions announced that the The Headies Music Awards would hold two editions – the 17th and 18th editions – in a single year to align with their annual calendar and compensate for a previously missed schedule.

However, the 18th edition, which was scheduled to hold in December 2025 as part of the Detty December festivities, failed to hold last year.

The two editions were billed as homecoming after the awards ceremony held its 15th and 16th editions in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Cobb Energy in 2022 and 2023.

On Monday, June 15, the organisers announced that the new edition would be held in Toronto, Canada.

Ayo Animashaun, the CEO of Smooth Promotions and Hip TV, unveiled plans to expand the awards’ global footprint without disconnecting from its Nigerian audience.

According to him, the awards ceremony will be hosted in Toronto, while a live watch party and selected award presentations will simultaneously take place in Lagos.

“The first thing is that we’re going to Toronto for the 18th Headies. The second thing is that we’re not leaving Nigeria behind. We’re going to have a watch party and a watch show between Toronto and Lagos. For the first time, we’re also having a training and investment summit,” he said.

Fans slam organisers

The decision to host the event in Toronto has reignited debate over the relevance and identity of the award platform widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in the Nigerian music industry.

While the organisers said the move is aimed at expanding the awards’ global reach, many critics on X argued that taking the ceremony overseas could further disconnect it from its core Nigerian audience.

A music enthusiast, Peter questioned the state of the Nigerian music industry and compared The Headies with the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).

“There is something fundamentally wrong with every aspect of the Nigerian music industry. AMVCA is now considered a prestigious award in Africa, but just look at this Agbaya called Headies,” he posted.

The announcement also sparked satire among some industry watchers. “At this rate, the next Headies will be held on a cruise ship somewhere between Iceland and Greenland. Why stop in Canada?,” one of the fans posted.

Similarly, a music promoter noted that the international venue would attract artistes who often ignore the ceremony when it is held in Nigeria.

“Watch how almost every Afrobeats artist will troop out and attend the event just because it will be held in Canada. But if it’s held in Nigeria, they won’t attend. Even if Headies is held in heaven, we the audience will still not rate them,” the user wrote.

A designer and tech expert also expressed disappointment. “I really held out hope for The Headies getting it right. But it seems that ship has sailed,” the post read.

Another fan suggested that the challenges facing the awards extend beyond the organisers.

“I know we all like to bash Headies awards, including me. But the most crucial part of the problem is our artists; they don’t give a shit about it. It’s different from the AMVCA. Actors treat it like the Oscars. Funding is also crucial for Headies,” he wrote.


Defending the vision, Animashaun urged stakeholders in the creative industry to focus on supporting local initiatives rather than dwelling on perceived shortcomings.

“Rather than look for what we’re not doing right, see the things we can do better and support us on this journey,” he said.

The 56-year-old media entrepreneur added: “Every one of you here is trying to do something as an engineer, and your neighbour, your friend, the guy next to you, thinks because you’re just an engineer, it’s not good enough. We want to patronise what is out there.”