Entertainment Gists
Full List of Winners At The Headies Award 2022
The 15th Headies Awards held in Atlanta, USA, on September 4, 2022.
The show was hosted by Emmy-nominated American actor Anthony Anderson and Nigerian actress Osas Ighodoro.
At the 2022 Headies Awards, Patoranking won 2 awards. Other winners include BNXN who won the Next Rated Award and Ayra Starr who won the Viewers Choice Award.
Before the Award ceremony, journalist Sampson Unamka disclosed that the winner of the Next Rated category at this year’s Headies award will take home the 2022 Bentley Bentayga SUV.
The nominees for the award were BNXN, Ruger, Ayra Starr, Zinoleesky and Lojay. However, BNXN won.
See the full list of winners below.
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR:
“CELEBRATE ME” – PATORANKING (Winner)
“ESSENCE” – WIZKID FEAT. TEMS
“JOY” – FALANA
“LOVING IS HARDER” – JOHNNY DRILLE
“MEJI MEJI” – BRYMO
“SOMEBODY’S SON” – TIWA SAVAGE FEAT. BRANDY
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR:
BEATS BY JAYY – “GOLDEN” (A-Q)
BLAISE BEATZ – “SINNER” (ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. LUCKY DAYE)
NIPHKEYS – “FEEL GOOD” (MOHBAD)
P PRIIME – “OZUMBA MBADIWE” (REEKADO BANKS)
PHEELZ – “HIGH” (ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. DAVIDO)
SARZ – “MONALISA” (LOJAY & SARZ) (WINNER)
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
ADEKUNLE GOLD – “SINNER” (WINNER)
AJEBO HUSTLERS – “LOYALTY”
BRYMO – “MEJI MEJI”
FALANA – “JOY”
FIREBOY DML – “PERU”
OMAH LAY – “UNDERSTAND”
BEST R&B SINGLE
“BABY RIDDIM” – FAVE
“BEGGIE BEGGIE” – AYRA STARR FEAT. CKAY
“ESSENCE” – WIZKID FEAT. TEMS (WINNER)
“RUNNING (TO YOU)” – CHIKE FEAT. SIMI
“PROMISE” – NINIOLA
“SINNER” – ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. LUCK DAYE
BEST RAP SINGLE
“BREATHE” – A-Q FEAT CHIKE
“CROWN OF CLAY” – VECTOR & MI ABAGA FEAT. PHEELZ
“EARLY MOMO” – VECTOR FEAT. GOODGIRL LA
“FEELING” – LADIPOE FEAT. BNXN (WINNER)
“TYCOON” – SHOW DEM CAMP FEAT. REMINISCE & MOJO
“LOADING” – OLAMIDE FEAT BAD BOY TIMZ
BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG:
“DOINGS” – FLAVOUR (WINNER)
“FREE YOUR MIND” – MADE KUTI
“GONTO” – IBEJII
“HUSTLE” – BASKETMOUTH, THE CAVEMEN, BEZ, DICE AILES
“MEJI MEJI” – BRYMO
“SELENSE” – THE CAVEMEN
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE):
AYRA STARR – “TOXIC”
LIYA – “ALARI”
NINIOLA – “6TH HEAVEN”
SIMI – “RUNNING (TO YOU)”
TEMS – “ESSENCE”
WAJE – “LAST TIME” (WINNER)
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE):
BRYMO – “MEJI MEJI”
JOHNNY DRILLE – “LOVING IS HARDER”
OXLADE – “OJUJU” (WINNER)
RIC HASSANI – “WHEN I’M GONE”
TAY IWAR – “PEAKING”
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL:
A-Q – “THE LAST CYPHER” (WINNER)
BLAQBONEZ – “THE LAST CYPHER”
JESSE JAGZ – “VIPERS”
LADIPOE – “PROVIDENCE”
PAYPER CORLEONE – “IN DON WE TRUST”
VECTOR – “CROWN OF CLAY”
BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
“CHAMPION” – (FIREBOY DML FEAT. D SMOKE) DIRECTED BY TG OMORI (WINNER)
“GINGER” – (WIZKID FEAT. BURNA BOY) DIRECTED BY MEJI ALABI
“ROJU” – (CHIKE) DIRECTED BY PINK
“RAIN” – (YEMI ALADE FEAT. MZANSI YOUTH CHOIR) DIRECTED BY OVIE ETSEYATSE
“BLING” – (BLAQBONEZ FEAT. AMAARAE & BNXN) DIRECTED BY TG OMORI
“RUNNING” – (LADIPOE FEAT. FIREBOY DML) DIRECTED BY DIRECTOR K
BEST COLLABORATION:
BEGGIE BEGGIE” – AYRA STARR FEAT. CKAY
“BLING” – BLAQBONEZ FEAT. AMAARAE & BNXN
“EARLY MOMO” – VECTOR FEAT. GOODGIRL LA
“ESSENCE” – WIZKID FEAT. TEMS (WINNER)
“FEELING” – LADIPOE FEAT. BNXN
“RUNNING (TO YOU)” – CHIKE FEAT. SIMI
BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE:
BELLA SHMURDA – “CASH APP” FEAT. ZLATAN & LINCOlN
REXXIE & MOHBAD – “KPK”
MOHBAD – “FEEL GOOD”
NAIRA MARLEY – “KOLEYEWON”
NEKTUNEZ & GOYA MENOR – “AMENO AMAPIANO (REMIX)” (WINNER)
POCO LEE, PORTABLE & OLAMIDE – “ZAZOO ZEHH”
BEST AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR:
“BLOODY SAMARITAN” – AYRA STARR
“BOUNCE” – RUGER
“HIGH” – ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. DAVIDO
“MONALISA” – LOJAY & SARZ
“OZUMBA MBADIWE” – REEKADO BANKS
“PERU” – FIREBOY DML (WINNER)
HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE:
AYRA STARR – “BLOODY SAMARITAN” (WINNER)
FIREBOY – “PERU”
JOEBOY – “SIP”
LOJAY & SARZ – “MONALISA”
NEKTUNEZ & GOYA MENOR – “AMENO AMAPIANO (REMIX)”
OLAMIDE FEAT. OMAH LAY – “INFINITY”
REMA – “SOUNDGASM”
WIZKID FEAT. TEMS – “ESSENCE”
BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
AMAARAE (GHANA)
ANGELIQUE KIDJO (BENIN)
AYA NAKAMURA (MALI)
GYAKIE (GHANA) (WINNER)
KIDI (GHANA)
NELSON FREITAS (CAPE VERDE)
BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
DIAMOND PLATINUMZ (TANZANIA) (WINNER)
EDDY KENZO (UGANDA)
HARMONIZE (TANZANIA)
MEDDY (RWANDA)
NIKITA KERING (KENYA)
ZUCHU (TANZANIA)
BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
EMEL MATHLOUTHI (TUNISIA)
ELGRANDETOTO (MOROCCO)
LATIFA (TUNISIA) (WINNER)
MANAL (MOROCCO)
MUHAMAD RAMADAN (EGYPT)
SOOLKING (ALGERIA)
BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
BLACK COFFEE (SOUTH AFRICA)
DJ TARICO (MOZAMBIQUE)
ELAINE (SOUTH AFRICA)
FOCALISTIC (SOUTH AFRICA) (WINNER)
JAH PRAYZAH (ZIMBABWE)
SHA SHA (ZIMBABWE)
BEST CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
CALEMA (SAO TOME & PRINCIPE)
BLANCHE BAILLY (CAMEROON)
DADJU (DR CONGO)
FALLY IPUPA (DR CONGO)
INNOSS’B (DR CONGO) (WINNER)
SORAIA RAMOS (CAPE VERDE)
BEST AFROBEATS ALBUM:
“19 AND DANGEROUS” – AYRA STARR
“A BETTER TIME” – DAVIDO
“BARNABAS” – KIZZ DANIEL
“MADE IN LAGOS (DELUXE EDITION)” – WIZKID (WINNER)
“KPOS LIFESTYLE” – AJEBO HUSTLERS
“WONDALAND” – TENI
BEST REGGAE & DANCEHALL ALBUM:
“GRATITUDE” – TIMAYA
“LOVE IS WAR” – PRETTYBOY D-O
“RAINBOW RIDDIM” – SHANK
“THREE” – PATORANKING (WINNER)
“YAADMAN KINGSIZE” – YUNG L BEST R&B ALBUM
“BEFORE WE FALL ASLEEP” – JOHNNY DRILLE
“IF ORANGE WAS A PLACE” – TEMS
“LOVE DEEP HIGH LIFE” – OMAWUMI
“RISING” – FALANA
“THE PRINCE I BECAME” – RIC HASSANI
“WATER AND GARRI” – TIWA SAVAGE
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
“9: ESAN” – BRYMO
“INTERMISSION” – IBEJII (WINNER)
“LEGACY +” – FEMI KUTI & MADE KUTI
“LOVE AND HIGHLIFE” – THE CAVEMEN
“P.S. THANK YOU FOR WAITING” – WAVY THE CREATOR
“YABASI” – BASKETMOUTH
BEST RAP ALBUM:
“CARPE DIEM” – OLAMIDE (WINNER)
“CLONE WARS VOL. 5 – THE ALGORHYTHM” – SHOW DEM CAMP
“GOLDEN” – A-Q
“MAFIA CULTURE, VOL. 2.0” – IDOWEST
“PROVIDENCE” – LADIPOE
“SEX OVER LOVE” – BLAQBONEZ
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: “9: ESAN” – BRYMO
“19 & DANGEROUS” – AYRA STARR
“CARPE DIEM” – OLAMIDE
“LEGACY +” – FEMI KUTI & MADE KUTI
“MADE IN LAGOS (DELUXE EDITION)” – WIZKID (WINNER)
“YABASI” – BASKETMOUTH
SONG OF THE YEAR:
“CELEBRATE ME” – PATORANKING
“DOINGS” – FLAVOUR FEAT. PHYNO
“ESSENCE” – WIZKID FEAT. TEMS (WINNER)
“HIGH” – ADEKUNLE GOLD FEAT. DAVIDO
“MONALISA” – LOJAY & SARZ
“PERU” – FIREBOY DML
BEST FEMALE ARTISTE:
SIMI
TEMS (WINNER)
TIWA SAVAGE
TENI
NINIOLA
BEST MALE ARTISTE
ADEKUNLE GOLD
BURNA BOY (WINNER)
DAVIDO
FLAVOUR
OLAMIDE
WIZKID
NEXT RATED:
AYRA STARR
BNXN (WINNER)
LOJAY
RUGER
ZINOLEESKY
AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR:
BLACK COFFEE (NIGERIA)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA) (WINNER)
DAVIDO (NIGERIA)
DIAMOND PLATINUMZ (TANZANIA)
SOOLKING (ALGERIA)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
AYA NAKAMURA (MALI/FRANCE)
BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE:
KCee & Okwesili Eze Group – ‘Cultural Praise Vol-1’ (WINNER)
Timi Dakolo – ‘Everything (Amen)’
Chidinma – ‘Jehova Overdo’
Mercy Chinwo – ‘Onyedikagi’
Dunsin Oyekan – ‘Yah’
Nathaniel Bassey – ‘You’re The Mighty God/Olorun Agbaye’
BEST DIGITAL ARTIST:
Burna Boy
CKay
Davido (WINNER)
Joeboy
Rema
Wizkid
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Beyonce
Chris Brown (WINNER)
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Nas
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE RECOGNITION
WYCLEF JEAN
AKON
P DIDDY
SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
BOSE OGULU
SUNDAY ARE
EFE OMOROGBE
HALL OF FAME:
ANGELINA KIDJOE
HUMANITARIAN AWARD OF THE YEAR:
2FACE IDIBIA
RUGGEDMAN
DAVIDO (WINNER)
DON JAZZY
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
AV
FAVE (WINNER)
MAGIXX
PORTABLE
UGOCCIE
SPECIAL REOGNITION -Dbanj (Talent)
RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
MANAGER PROFILE
Uncle Wisdom is a Lagos-based music executive and visionary leader known for blending structure, strategy, and creativity in artist management. With a background in Mathematics and Statistics from UNICROSS formerly, Cross River University Of Technology. He brings analytical precision into talent development, positioning artists for both creative excellence and commercial success.
CAREER JOURNEY
Began his career in 2017 as an event coordinator for Eksu Olofofo, where he gained foundational experience in live events and audience engagement. By 2018, he transitioned into full-time artist management, driven by a clear goal to build a more structured and results-oriented system within the music industry.
In 2019, Started working as a road manager for Barry Jhay, gaining hands-on experience in touring, logistics, and artist operations, a refined career and mental awareness coach . He was also instrumental behind Barry Jhay’s 2025 sold-out homecoming concert, a key moment that fueled momentum for a successful UK tour, including sold-out shows in London and Birmingham.
PHLOX MGMT
Founded from the ground up, Phlox Mgmt is a forward-thinking management company focused on Career coaching, A&R, artist development, and strategic positioning. The company is built on a clear philosophy:
Develop the sound. Define the brand. Position the artist to win.
Phlox Mgmt has connections with @Roadgod_of Roadgod Agency and connects artists with top-tier producers, engineers, and creatives, ensuring a refined sound and strong market presence. The company continues to grow as a trusted platform for emerging and established talent.
INDUSTRY NETWORK & COLLABORATIONS
Uncle Wisdom has built valuable relationships across the industry, working with and alongside talents such as:
Barry Jhay • Asake • Ceeza Milli • Berri Tiga • Laime • Spellz • and many others
LEADERSHIP APPROACH
John Wisdom operates with a long-term vision, focusing on structure, consistency, and execution. His approach goes beyond traditional management he builds systems around artists that support sustainable growth, strong branding, and global competitiveness.
CONTACT & SOCIALS
Instagram & X: @Johnwisdm @phlox_mgmt
TikTok: @unclewisdom7
Email: phloxentertainment@gmail.com
Phone: 08038448478 | 09015668027
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