Ayo Animashaun questions artistes who celebrate foreign award submissions but overlook The Headies and complain about missing nominations.
Founder of The Headies, Ayo Animashaun, has criticised Nigerian artistes who openly celebrate submitting their works to foreign award bodies but allegedly fail to enter The Headies, only to complain when they are excluded from nominations.
Animashaun expressed his frustration in a series of Instagram stories on Thursday, questioning why some musicians readily seek international recognition while overlooking an award platform established to celebrate African music.
According to him, artistes publicly announce their submissions to foreign award organisers, including institutions he suggested may not necessarily value them, but fail to extend the same commitment to The Headies.
He described the situation as ironic, referring to those involved as “Tom, Dick and Harry” before ending his first Instagram post with “Funny!!!”
In a subsequent post, Animashaun defended the direction of The Headies, maintaining that the organisers would continue making decisions they considered necessary for the awards’ growth, provided artistes and sponsors understood the vision.
“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.”
He also addressed criticism surrounding the awards, arguing that differing opinions should not prevent organisers from pursuing their long-term plans. “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.”
Although Animashaun did not identify any artiste, mention the Grammy Awards or directly address the decision to host The Headies in Toronto, his comments come amid renewed conversations about Nigerian musicians seeking international recognition and the future of local award platforms.
Several Nigerian artistes have recently publicised their submissions for the 69th Grammy Awards.
Afrobeats singer Davido submitted his album Oriadé alongside several songs, including B4 B4 and Nakupenda, while Asake and Seun Kuti entered works for consideration in the Best African Music Performance category.
Tems and Ayra Starr have also reportedly submitted entries for consideration.
Animashaun, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of Smooth Promotions and Hip TV, founded The Headies in 2006. Originally known as the Hip Hop World Awards, the ceremony has grown into one of Nigeria’s prominent music recognition platforms and marks its 20th anniversary this year.
His remarks also come as the organisers face criticism over plans to stage the 18th edition of The Headies outside Nigeria.
In June, Animashaun announced that the ceremony, themed Africa to the World, would take place in Toronto, Canada, describing the city as a strategic destination offering international partnerships, infrastructure and greater visibility for African music.
The announcement attracted criticism from some fans who questioned the decision to move the Nigerian awards ceremony abroad.
On October 10, organisers announced that the Toronto event, initially scheduled for October 23, had been postponed to April 10 and 11, 2027.
They explained that the postponement would provide additional time to expand activities across Nigeria and Canada ahead of the ceremony.
Animashaun subsequently apologised to guests who had already made travel and attendance arrangements, although the announcement prompted further complaints from fans and ticket holders online.
Despite the criticism, his latest remarks suggest that the organisers remain committed to their international expansion plans.