One of the least talked about categories at the Headies Award is the “International Artist of the Year” category but the nominees for the award’s 17th edition has gotten our attention. The category is a voting award recognizing a non-African artist or group who has achieved significant success and influence on Afrobeats.
In 2023, Selena Gomez won the Headies Award for International Artist of the Year for her collaboration with Rema on the Calm Down remix. For this year’s edition, Wale, Skepta, Travis Scott, Chris Brown, and Chlöe Bailey are nominated and it is not surprising to see them on the list. During the year in review, these international acts remained at the top of our minds, thanks to their collaborations with Nigerian artists.
Chris Brown received a nomination for his 2024 single “Hmmm” with Davido. Their partnership on this track reflects the seamless chemistry between the two artists, as they’ve previously collaborated on hits like “Sensational,” “Lower Body,” and “Blow My Mind.” The song “Hmmm” became a global hit dominating social media spaces because of the accompanying dance step.
Skepta, the British rapper, received a nomination for his feature on Portable’s “Tony Montana.” The song blends Skepta’s grime influence with Portable’s raw Afrobeat sound, creating an energetic and innovative musical experience. This unexpected collaboration has been a turning point in Portable’s career, as he frequently credits Skepta for helping him achieve such success. More importantly, it went viral on the home front and spent a long time on the charts.
Travis Scott, the American rapper, was nominated for his feature on Asake’s “Active” from the Lungu Boy album. Fortunately for Travis, he made the nominees list because the song was released to promote the album a few days before the window of the year in review. The song and its accompanying video also resonated with the ‘streets’ and endeared Travis, who was collaborating with a Nigerian star for the first time, to Nigerians.
Wale is well known to Nigerians and his nomination for his verse on Odumodu’s hit song “Blood on the Dance Floor” is a no-brainer. Known for his introspective lyricism and ability to blend various musical genres, Wale has long been celebrated for his fusion of African and American musical influences. Blood on the Dance Floor is an iconic song for many reasons, especially because it cemented Odumodublvck’s spot as the rapper to beat, put Bloody Civilian on the map and spent months in the top 10 most listened to songs in the country.
Also on the list, surprisingly to some, is American singer Chlöe Bailey, who was nominated for her collaboration with Qing Madi on the “Vision Remix.” When the nominee list was revealed, many were puzzled by Chlöe Bailey’s inclusion, with some speculating that her nomination was due to her trending romance with Burna Boy. However, what they didn’t realize was that her nomination was based on merit, as she had featured on a hit track with Qing Madi.
Who should win:
Wale; simply because of the cultural impact of Blood on the Dance Floor. The song elevated Odumodu and Bloody Civillian’s status, dominated the club and party scene during the Detty December 2023 period and spent 13 weeks on the charts. Moreover, it was a very brilliant song, elevated by his verse.
Who would win:Chris Brown; because he has had a remarkable year so recency bias would be on his side, and he is one of us already. The 2025 Grammy Award winner may be known for his RnB style, dance steps, and other things but he is loved by Nigerians because he has collaborated with too many Afrobeats artists that we are not surprised or hyped anymore. What’s more, Hmm is a great song that would remain in the minds of listeners for months to come.
