Recent Headies awards, in their fifteenth year, mostly fell short of expectations. Here is a summary of what transpired, emphasizing the highlights and lowlights.
On September 4, 2022, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, the illustrious award event, which primarily honors achievement in the Nigerian music industry and beyond, was conducted.
Although the organizers of this award ceremony deserve praise for their consistency over the past 15 years, it appears that priorities are not set on what may be done better in light of past shortcomings. Here are some of the things we like best about the 15th Headies Award before we get into the areas where the show needs to improve.
1. Even though many people continue to oppose the idea of moving a Nigerian award show to the United States, it was encouraging to see the Headies in a new light because it involved more global partnerships, a higher prize for the “next rated” category, a wider diasporic reach, and other positive developments for the brand as a whole.
2. Even though it is still the most coveted music award in Nigeria, the Headies award started to lose credibility with artists and industry players a few years ago. As a result, less notable people, including nominated acts themselves, attended the award show. The 15th edition, though, provided a reprieve because both Nigerian and international industry figures and performers showed up in reasonable numbers. In contrast to earlier competitions, several winners were able to pick up their awards in person. It’s interesting to note that many Nigerian artists who are dominating the worldwide scene and must travel for long periods of time would not have been able to attend if the award hadn’t been given.
3. Although some of the performances fell short of the standards expected of an award event meant to honor the “Afrobeats,” the current hottest music in the world, others were electrifying and deserve praise. The opening performance by Pheelz, Ruger, Asake, and Adekunle Gold are among these performances. The band that performed for all the musicians also put on an amazing show.
4. Like humanity, music will always advance and break down new barriers. The panelists that discussed the categories for the #15thHeadies awards demonstrated their understanding of the need to adapt by coming up with new categories that highlighted the industry’s growing narrative shift and creative forwardness. These include the International Artist of the Year category, which Chris Brown won, the Best International Single category, which KCee won, and the Digital Artist of the Year category (won by Davido).
Additionally, the music performers and executives who play crucial roles in creating, building, and promoting the Nigerian music business received particular honor. Wyclef Jean, Akon, D’Banj, Efe Omorogbe, Sunday Are, and Bose Ogulu all received the bouquets they earned.
After highlighting the event’s advantages, it is regrettable to say that the 15thHeadies award was marred by more problems than marvels. The following are some areas that we’d want to see future editions improve:
1. Punctuality
Although the event was not held in Africa this year, The Headies have become well-known proponents of the idea of “African Time” by starting their award shows late. The #15thheadies was no exception. This time, an event that was supposed to begin at 5 p.m. Eastern (10 p.m. Nigerian time) began at 7 p.m. Eastern (12 a.m. Nigerian time the following day), delaying attendees and viewers by an astounding two hours and more! This shouldn’t be the norm in 2022, especially because this was the first edition to be held in the diaspora.
2. Location
Even though the Atlanta factor had its benefits, there was a staffing deficit during the 15th headies, as only a few people were able to do tasks that needed to be shared among many. One notable instance is the use of one presenter (MC Rhelax) for HIPTV on the red carpet. HIPTV is the main station from which a large number of people watched the award. If the award had been held in the homeland, there would have been more individuals available to help out, so the situation wouldn’t have been the same (although the organizers could have found sufficient media stars of African heritage outside to help too, but that wasn’t feasible).
3. Selection of Host
A-list American comedian and actor Anthony Anderson and award-winning actress Osas Ighodaro from Nigeria hosted the #15Headies. Anthony Anderson was a terrible decision and may have been a waste of a “big bag,” despite the fact that the organizers believed it appropriate to utilize a “international” name as a co-host. Despite being African-American, the host in question was obviously out of touch with African music, representation, and culture, which disrupted the natural flow between him and his African co-host on stage. The combination was only a facade because of inadequate understanding of African music and what it stands for, as well as cultural differences. In truth, the American comic tried to make a few pointless gags.
4. The Performance
There is little doubt that the Headies award is the largest forum for honoring musical talent in Nigeria, and there are high expectations for its production, both aural and visual. All eyes are on the industry, and the Headies were meant to be the watchtower, especially because this is the year of “afrobeats to the world.” Unfortunately, the red carpet as a whole was hampered by poor video representation and persistent audio issues, which made it difficult for viewers to continue to watch the main show. As a result, we were unable to fully enjoy the elegance of the red carpet or the stunning appearances of the guests.
Conclusion
This is not a nitpicking exercise, but we’d love to see the Headies promote their brand and the Nigerian music business as a whole more effectively in upcoming performances. After 15 years of operation and nearly identical complaints, the organizers may think about enlisting the support of significant members of the music industry (away from their own organisation). It is crucial that more be done to make this an award presentation that can claim of few or no lapses because it is the largest platform for Nigerian music and is firmly committed to honouring afrobeats brilliance in the eyes of the world.