The organisers of the Headies have refuted claims that gospel artists are sidelined from major award categories, emphasizing that faith-based musicians remain eligible for mainstream honours.
This response follows an open letter from Nigerian gospel artist Gaise Baba, who alleged that the Headies relegates gospel records to isolated categories and fails to give them due recognition.
Gaise Baba specifically noted that although he was nominated for the newly introduced inspirational music category in 2024, the winner was not publicly announced or recognized on stage—an omission he described as “disregard” for gospel artists.
In a statement posted on their official Instagram, the Headies asserted that their track record disproves accusations of excluding gospel artists from major awards. They pointed to past winners and nominees such as Lara George, Kefee, Nikki Laoye, and Timi Dakolo, all of whom have competed and won in general categories.
Every award season, the same claim resurfaces: ‘The Headies doesn’t recognise gospel artists. Inspirational music is shut out of the real categories.’ It sounds provocative. It travels fast. But the record says otherwise – and the record is verifiable,” the statement read.
The Headies highlighted several examples: Lara George was nominated for Best Female Vocal Performance in 2008 for ‘Ijoba Orun’ and won the same category in 2010 for ‘Keeper of My Dreams.’
Kefee won Best Collaboration in 2010 with Timaya for ‘Kokoroko’, a song that also received nominations for Song of the Year, Best Pop Single, Best Female Vocal Performance, and Best Music Video. Timi Dakolo won Recording of the Year in 2010 for ‘Heaven Please’ and took home three awards in 2015 for ‘Wish Me Well’. Nikki Laoye won Best Vocal Performance (Female) in 2013 for ‘Only You’.
“These examples show that gospel and inspirational artists have not only been nominated but have triumphed in major categories against strong mainstream competition,” the statement continued.
The Best Inspirational Single category, introduced at the 15th Headies in 2022, was not designed to marginalize gospel music, the organisers said, but to ensure greater representation on the Headies stage.
Winners in this category have included Kcee and Okwesili Eze Group for ‘Cultural Praise’ (2022), Neon Adejo for ‘Eze Ebube’ (2023), and Mercy Chinwo for ‘You Do This One’ (2025). Nominees have also included Dunsin Oyekan, Limoblaze, Tope Alabi, and Anendlessocean.
Addressing concerns about category exclusions, the Headies clarified that the high volume of submissions—an average of 50 entries per category—means only a handful of nominees can advance to the final list. Not making the shortlist, they argued, should not be misconstrued as deliberate exclusion.
The organisers also responded to complaints about certain categories not being presented during the live broadcast. As the number of award categories has grown from 22 to 35, not every category can be televised each year due to time constraints.
A rotation system is used, and inspirational music is part of that cycle. “That is not disregard. It is how a growing awards platform manages a growing number of categories,” the statement said.
The 2026 Headies, themed ‘Africa to the World,’ will take place on October 25 in Toronto, Canada.
