Headies 2026 to hold in Canada as organisers seek global expansion

By Enitan Abdultawab

Organisers of The Headies have announced that the 18th edition of Nigeria’s premier music awards ceremony will take place in Toronto, Canada, marking another step in the event’s international expansion.

The announcement was made on Monday by Headies founder, Ayo Animashaun, during a press briefing in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Although the exact date for the ceremony has yet to be unveiled, Animashaun confirmed that travel company Wakanow has partnered with the organisers to enhance the experience for attendees travelling from Nigeria to Canada.

“We have a partner going with us to give a never-seen-before experience from Lagos to Toronto and the partner is Wakanow,” he said.

Explaining the rationale behind taking the awards ceremony abroad, Animashaun stressed the need for The Headies to diversify its revenue streams in line with leading international award platforms.

“Most of the awards in the world that you see that are big, that you talk about, they have four or five sources of revenue. Here we have only one, everybody talks about sponsorship,” he said.

Drawing parallels with the Grammy Awards, he added, “They have state funding. During COVID, Grammy left Los Angeles and went to Madison Square in New York because LA was shut down.

“LA fought to bring Grammy back because it does something to their economy and it is part of their DNA. What events would you say are part of our DNA as Nigerians?”

The move signals a new direction for The Headies, which returned to Nigeria in 2024 after staging two consecutive editions in the United States.

The 15th and 16th editions of the awards were both held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Since its launch in 2006, The Headies has evolved into one of Africa’s most prestigious music award ceremonies, recognising outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry.