The 2026 Headies nominations have given Nigerian music fans plenty to argue about, but one category may generate the loudest debate of them all.
Next Rated.
The award has become one of the most closely watched
categories at The Headies because it focuses on emerging artistes who are
considered capable of becoming major stars.
And this year's shortlist is packed with interesting names.
Fido.
FOLA.
Llona.
Mavo.
Shoday.
Each artiste has taken a different route to the spotlight.
Some arrived through viral records and street culture. Others built their
audiences through emotional songwriting, collaborations, streaming success or a
distinctive sound.
FOLA has an additional advantage going into the race. He
leads the entire 18th Headies nomination list with 10 nominations, while Mavo
and Shoday also picked up nominations in other major categories.
So who are these five artistes, what brought them this far,
and who has the strongest case for Next Rated?
Let's take a closer look.
What Is the Headies Next Rated Award?
The Headies describes Next Rated as an award for the most
promising emerging artiste poised for mainstream superstardom.
Eligible material can include two singles, an EP or an album
released during the year under review. For the 18th Headies, the eligibility
period covers music released between August 1, 2024 and April 30, 2026.
That makes the award different from simply asking which new
artiste had the biggest song.
The competition is about the bigger picture.
Impact matters.
Momentum matters.
The quality and strength of an artiste's body of work
matter.
And perhaps most importantly, the question is whether the
artiste appears ready to move from promising newcomer to established mainstream
star.
1. Mavo: The Young Star Turning Slang Into a Music Identity
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| Photo credit: Instagram |
Born Oseremen Marvin Ukanigbe, the Nigerian singer and
songwriter broke into wider public attention with "Escaladizzy",
a record that became one of the defining viral songs of his breakthrough
period.
His rise was not based on one song alone.
"Shakabulizzy" continued the momentum, while
collaborations such as "Money Constant" with Wizkid and "Body
(Danz)" with CKay pushed him further into the mainstream conversation.
"Body (Danz)" became Mavo's first No. 1 song in
Nigeria, according to available chart records.
Mavo has also built something particularly valuable for a
young artiste: his own musical language.
His use of slang and what has been described as Burbur
music has become part of his identity. His creative slang, often referred
to as Bizzylingua, has helped separate him from many of his contemporaries.
His breakout was significant enough to earn attention from
Billboard, while his music also attracted collaborations with established stars
including Wizkid, Davido, CKay, Ayra Starr, Shallipopi and Zlatan.
Mavo is also balancing his music career with his studies at
Afe Babalola University, where available profiles identify him as an optometry
student.
Why Mavo Could Win Next Rated
Mavo's biggest advantage may be cultural impact.
He does not simply have songs that people know.
He has created language, expressions and a visual identity
that fans can immediately associate with him.
That is valuable in the streaming and social media era.
His seven nominations across the 18th Headies also show that
his momentum has extended beyond the Next Rated category. He is competing for
awards including Digital Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Best
Collaboration, Best Rap Single and Headies Viewers' Choice.
2. Shoday: The Hitmaker With Range
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| Photo credit: Instagram |
His catalogue includes songs such as "Hey
Jago," "Gaddem," "Nakupenda," "Paparazzi"
and "Come Kulosa."
Apple Music's current profile for Shoday also lists his 2026
album HYBRID, alongside his recent singles and collaborations.
One of his biggest moments during the eligibility period
came with "Hey Jago", his collaboration with Poco Lee and
Rahman Jago.
The song earned a nomination for Song of the Year, giving
Shoday another major recognition beyond Next Rated.
He also teamed up with FOLA for "Paparazzi."
The record was released in 2026 and appears on Shoday's HYBRID project.
His HYBRID project also shows that Shoday is not interested
in being locked into one sound.
Apple Music's description of the album highlights his
movement between street-pop, highlife, R&B and soul influences.
Why Shoday Could Win Next Rated
Shoday's biggest strength is consistency.
He has shown that he can make records that work in different
environments while continuing to develop his sound.
His presence in major collaborations also gives him an
advantage.
The fact that he is nominated for both Next Rated and Song
of the Year shows that his impact during the eligibility period went beyond
simply being considered a newcomer.
3. Fido: The Voice Behind "Joy Is Coming"
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| Photo credit: Instagram |
The singer's breakthrough accelerated with "Joy Is
Coming," one of the biggest Nigerian songs of 2025.
The record spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Official
Nigeria Top 100, according to TurnTable Charts.
It also spent 19 weeks inside the chart's top 10 and
finished 2025 as the year's No. 1 song on the TurnTable year-end chart.
Those numbers give Fido one of the strongest commercial
arguments in the Next Rated race.
"Joy Is Coming" also earned him a nomination for
Song of the Year at the 18th Headies.
Fido is also nominated in the Afrobeats Single of the Year
category for "Fun."
That means his case is not built around a single successful
record.
He has demonstrated that he can generate attention across
more than one release.
Why Fido Could Win Next Rated
Fido's biggest advantage is obvious: hit power.
"Joy Is Coming" was not merely a social media
moment.
It performed strongly across radio, streaming and the
Nigerian singles charts.
TurnTable reported that the song recorded 87.2 million
on-demand streams in its 2025 year-end tracking and generated 1.56 billion
radio impressions.
That level of commercial impact makes Fido one of the
hardest contenders to overlook.
If The Headies places heavy weight on the size and cultural
impact of an artiste's breakthrough, Fido has a very strong case.
4. FOLA: The Nomination Leader
Photo credit: Instagram
FOLA may have the most complicated position in this year's
Next Rated race.
On one hand, he is an emerging artiste competing for the
award.
On the other hand, he is already the most nominated
artiste of the entire 18th Headies.
FOLA received 10 nominations, more than any other artiste on
the 2026 list.
His nominations include Album of the Year and Best R&B
Album for Catharsis, Best Male Artiste, Digital Artiste of the Year,
Best Recording of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Collaboration,
Songwriter of the Year and Headies Viewers' Choice.
His song "You" is competing in several
major categories, while his collaboration with Kizz Daniel, "Lost,"
is nominated for Best Collaboration.
Why FOLA Could Win Next Rated
FOLA's biggest advantage is the sheer breadth of his
recognition.
He is not entering the category with one viral song.
He is competing with a body of work that has attracted
attention across albums, singles, songwriting, collaborations and digital
performance.
That gives him perhaps the strongest all-round nomination
profile of the five.
The question is whether his level of recognition could
actually work against him in a category designed to identify the next
superstar.
If the judges are looking for the artiste with the clearest
overall momentum and potential, FOLA has an extremely strong case.
5. Llona: The Introspective Storyteller
Photo credit: Instagram
Llona represents a different side of the Next Rated
conversation.
While some of the other nominees have built their momentum
around street records, viral moments and major collaborations, Llona's appeal
is strongly connected to emotional songwriting and personal storytelling.
His album Homeless contains songs such as "Can't
Breathe," "Another Day," "HBP Remix" with Bella
Shmurda and "Cold War" with FAVE. Spotify's album listing confirms
the project and its tracklist.
Llona's music has developed a reputation for dealing with
vulnerability, identity, relationships and personal struggles.
That gives him a particularly distinctive position in the
Next Rated race.
He is not necessarily competing on the same terms as an
artiste whose biggest advantage is a viral dance record.
His strength is the emotional connection he builds with
listeners.
Why Llona Could Win Next Rated
Llona's biggest advantage is artistic identity.
He has developed a sound and lyrical approach that gives
listeners a reason to connect with him beyond a single hit.
In a category focused on long-term potential, that could be
important.
The question is whether his overall impact during the
eligibility period was strong enough to overcome the enormous commercial
momentum of contenders such as Fido and Mavo.
Who Has the Strongest Case for Next Rated?
This is where the race becomes difficult.
Mavo has the cultural moment.
Fido has the biggest commercial argument.
FOLA has the strongest overall nomination profile.
Shoday has consistency and versatility.
Llona has artistic depth and a distinctive identity.
There is no obvious runaway winner.
And that is exactly what makes this year's Next Rated
category so interesting.
Mavo vs Fido vs FOLA: Who Has the Edge?
If the award comes down primarily to cultural impact,
Mavo has a compelling argument.
"Escaladizzy" became more than a song. It became
part of the language and social media culture surrounding his breakout. His
collaborations with established stars also helped turn viral attention into
mainstream visibility.
If the focus is commercial performance, Fido may have
the strongest case.
"Joy Is Coming" dominated Nigeria's charts in 2025
and finished the year as TurnTable's No. 1 song.
If the focus is overall artistic and industry momentum,
FOLA may be difficult to beat.
Ten nominations across major categories suggest that his
work resonated across several areas of the Headies judging process.
Shoday and Llona should not be dismissed, however.
Shoday has continued to build a strong catalogue and appears
across several important releases, while Llona's emotional approach gives him a
distinctive identity that could appeal to voters looking beyond pure commercial
numbers.
Why the 2026 Next Rated Category Matters
The 2026 Next Rated race reflects a major change in Nigerian
music.
Artists no longer need to wait years before breaking
through.
A strong song can become a national hit within months.
A TikTok or Instagram moment can push an unknown artiste
into mainstream conversation.
Streaming platforms can turn a local release into a global
discovery.
And collaborations with established stars can accelerate an
artiste's career almost overnight.
That is exactly what makes this year's nominees so
interesting.
Each of them represents a different route to stardom.
Mavo represents viral culture and musical innovation.
Fido represents commercial breakthrough.
FOLA represents broad artistic and industry momentum.
Shoday represents consistency and versatility.
Llona represents emotional storytelling and artistic
identity.
When Is the 18th Headies?
The 18th Headies is scheduled to take place in Toronto,
Canada, under the theme "Africa to the World."
There is currently a date discrepancy across official
Headies pages, with one official page listing October 25 and the Headies
homepage and events information showing October 23.
Because the date has not been presented consistently across
the official pages, fans should check the official Headies channels for the
final confirmed ceremony date before making travel arrangements.
The awards will be part of a wider Toronto programme
designed to connect African music and entertainment with the international
market.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 Headies Next Rated category may be one of the
hardest races to predict.
Mavo has the culture.
Fido has the numbers.
FOLA has the nominations.
Shoday has the versatility.
Llona has the artistry.
And that is why there is no obvious answer yet.
Personally, the most interesting question is whether The
Headies will reward the artiste who had the biggest breakout moment or the one
who demonstrated the strongest long-term potential.
Because Next Rated is not simply about who was popular.
It is about who looks ready to become the next major star.
So, who gets your vote?
Mavo, Shoday, Fido, FOLA or Llona?
Tell us who you think should win Next Rated at the 18th
Headies and, more importantly, tell us why.
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