Founder of the Headies, Ayo Animashaun has criticised Nigerian artistes who submit their works for Grammy consideration but allegedly fail to enter their projects for his awards.
In recent days, several Nigerian music stars, including Davido, Asake and Adekunle Gold, have submitted entries for the 2027 Grammy Awards, seeking nominations in different categories.
In an Instagram post, Animashaun questioned why the artistes were eager to compete for international awards that, according to him, showed little interest in them, while neglecting to submit entries for the Headies.
He also maintained that the award organisers would remain committed to their decisions, apparently referring to the planned relocation of the ceremony to Canada, provided artistes understood the rationale behind the move and sponsors supported their long-term vision.
Animashaun acknowledged that criticism was inevitable but insisted some decisions would only be appreciated in hindsight, once their value became clear.
“Tom, Dick and Harry will submit entries to foreign award bodies that don’t even care about them and proudly post about it. But these same people won’t submit their entries to the Headies, yet they’ll complain about not being nominated. Funny,” he wrote.
“As long as those who benefit from what we do understand and appreciate it, the artistes understand why taking The Headies to the moon sometimes is the right move, and our sponsors see the vision, we can stand firmly by our decisions.
“Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but not every opinion carries equal weight. Posterity will be kind to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.”
The 18th edition of The Headies, originally scheduled for Toronto, Canada, on October 23, 2026, was recently postponed to April 10 and 11, 2027.
