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Headies founder Ayo Animashaun has criticised Nigerian artistes for publicising foreign award submissions while allegedly failing to submit entries to The Headies.
Headies founder Ayo Animashaun has criticised artistes who publicise submissions to foreign award bodies but allegedly skip The Headies.
He questioned why some artistes complain about missing nominations when they do not submit entries to the Nigerian awards.
His comments come amid Grammy submissions and criticism over The Headies' postponed Toronto ceremony.
Headies founder Ayo Animashaun has taken aim at artistes who submit entries to foreign award bodies, saying the same people do not submit to The Headies and then complain when they are not nominated.
In a pair of Instagram stories on Thursday, Animashaun said "Tom, Dick and Harry" will send entries to foreign award bodies that "don't even care about them" and proudly post about it. He ended the first story with "Funny!!!"
In a follow-up story, he said The Headies can stand by its decisions as long as artistes and sponsors understand them.
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“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 wrote.
He added: “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.”
He did not name anyone, mention the Grammys, or refer directly to the Headies being held in Toronto, but deductions from his statement all point to them.
Ayo Animashaun
Animashaun is the founder of The Headies and CEO of Smooth Promotions and Hip TV, the companies behind the awards. The ceremony began in 2006 as the Hip Hop World Awards and marks its 20th anniversary this year.
His comments come as Nigerian acts publicise their entries for the 69th Grammy Awards. Davido submitted his album Oriadé and several songs, including ‘B4 B4’ and ‘Nakupenda'. Asake and Seun Kuti have both gone for Best African Music Performance, and Tems and Ayra Starr are also reported to have entered.
The Headies have been under scrutiny of their own. In June, Animashaun announced that the 18th edition, themed Africa to the World, would be held in Toronto, Canada. He said the city offered partnerships, infrastructure and visibility, but the decision drew criticism from fans.
On October 10, organisers postponed the Toronto ceremony from October 23 to April 10 and 11, 2027, saying they needed more time to grow activities across Nigeria and Canada. Animashaun apologised to guests who had already made plans, while some fans and ticket holders voiced frustration online.