The Headies has always been notorious for starting late but this year witnessed a positive difference. The award ceremony was scheduled to start by 10 pm and it did. Punctuality was obviously a theme at the awards. The banter between the hosts was on point and short. They didn’t drag the event with meaningless jibes. The transitions were smooth throughout the show.

The performances this year were top notch as the organizers used a live band as well as a DJ for performances. It was obvious a lot of the performers rehearsed adequately for their sets.

Standout performances include Falz, Mr Real, Mad Melon & Mountain Black, and Simi.

The sound production was on point and the stage design is arguably the best the Headies has ever witnessed in all of its illustrious years.

For years, fast-paced Nigerian pop music has dominated the landscape and award shows for years. This year at the Headies things changed as Simi won three awards making her the joint highest winner of the night alongside Davido.

Her three plaques are further proof that the Headies supports and rewards Nigerian music that doesn’t fit into the mould of hard banging and dizzy pop smashes.

It was good to see Reminisce finally win the Best Rap Album of the Year category. The Alaga Ibile has one of the finest rap discographies in Nigeria and it is only befitting to see his hard work and talent finally recognized by the Headies.

Negatives of Headies 2018

Despite the efforts of the organizers to ensure nominees came on time, a few of the nominees came late for the show.

In several categories, the winners were not around to take their plaques. They hadn’t made it to the venue yet.

These Nigerian artistes should start treating the Headies with the respect it deserves. It is unprofessional and tardy for you to show up at an awards ceremony while you are a nominee. It’s wrong. It sends a wrong image.

Hopefully, Nigerian artistes will do better at the next edition.

Wizkid was glaringly missing at the Headies even though he bagged two solo awards and a collabo award with Tiwa Savage.

This is another high profile event Wizkid is missing within the space of a month. With Star Boy being here in Nigeria, many of his fans wondered why he wasn’t around for the show. What’s going on with Wizkid?

With the recent spotlight on codeine abuse in Nigeria, it was tone deaf for Tiwa Savage, Reminisce, Mr Real and DJ Eni Money to have performed their hit song ‘Diet’.

The song should have been left off Tiwa Savage’s set so as not to send the wrong message that she encourages drug abuse.

Snubs of Headies 2018

For all their hard work and effort in the year in review, the trio of Runtown, Olamide and Tekno couldn’t take home an award last night.

Think of the smash hits these three acts have dropped within the year in review and you will be shocked that none of them won an award.

To be fair it’s no one’s fault. The year in review was choked with so many great pop songs that it would have been hard for these three acts to have nabbed a Headie. Maybe next year.

Other Notable Moments at Headies 2018

• There is a high chance that you have never seen Richard Mofe Damijo do the galala. At the Headies, the Nollywood elder statesman shuffled on his feet like it was 1994.
• Davido dedicating his Artist of the Year to his ‘assurance’ Chioma and imploring his fellow artists to help people in need was a great moment.
• When Mayorkun won the Next Rated Act category, he couldn’t give a winners speech because he was mobbed by the entire 30 Billion Gang. The crew love was epic as they raised him high.
• Igwe 2Pac and his very efficient hypeman did their thing on stage. It was great to see the viral sensation doing his thing live.
• In honour of yesterday’s superstars. the groups Zule Zoo and Mad Melon & Mountain Black performed their respective classic hits which had the whole of Eko Hotel turnt up.
• Overall the 12th edition of the Headies was a huge success. It was a better-produced show than previous editions, arguably the best produced Headies in recent years.