What the Headies must do to regain its status as a prestigious award

The 17th Headies Award was held on April 27, 2025, and it wasn’t without what has now become a typical technical and professional failure. I had the privilege of attending the ceremony and seeing these failures in person. However, I have elected to shake off the temptation of diving into the details of these recurring shortcomings because let us face it, there’s nothing new to say. Tems won the award for “Best Recording Of The Year” for Burning at the #17thheadies 🏆Her gorgeous mom & Seyi Sodimu accept the award on her behalf ! pic.twitter.com/c1TU2ZKYEb— tems 𝖘z𝖓 (@temsszn) April 27, 2025 Perhaps the travesty of having the mother of Nigerian global star Tems present an award that her daughter won. There’s also the utter lack of professionalism from the several, I dare say, undeserving personalities who presented awards. Or the inexplicable 5 – 10 minute pause that punctuated every agenda. For the most part, it was a case of predictable failures that the Headies organisers seem incapable of fixing, and an industry that appears to be settling for what is now the new order. Or how else should one interpret the words of one of the night’s presenters movie star Kunle Afolayan who compared the Headies Awards to a child that must be loved by the parent comes what may. His position isn’t without reason. It’s likely inspired by patriotism for the Nigerian cause and maybe a resignation that just won’t get better. When I consider the excellence Mr. Afolayan has shown in his works as a filmmaker, I wonder if he would tolerate a similar level of mediocrity if displayed by the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Award, which is the leading prize for movies. So while I might not agree entirely with the somewhat defeatist remarks of Kunle Afolayan, I appreciate the fact that Headies Award represents a lot to Nigerians who need to find ways to support the organisers while demanding for better performance. It’s this call for better performance that will form the basis of this write-up. What The Headies Must Do To Regain its Status As A Prestigious Award Ceremony After another poor outing at the 17th Headies where there’s yet to be a full list of winners hours after the ceremony, where there was a shortage of plaques, presenters incapable of handling the task they were saddled with, and disinterested artists performing to a tired audience (the show started past 11 PM and ran into 4 AM), the Academy’s reputation is at an all time low. Although things look really bad for the award ceremony, the situation can be remedied. Here’s how. It’s time for the old guard to go I will keep it a buck. The old guard who has so far taken the Headies Academy this far has lost the command of the stakeholders at the forefront of the industry and is doing itself no favours in retaining the patronage of those who still reckon with the award. There simply needs to be an overhaul in approach and this cannot be limited to the delectable designs of Landmark Event Centre or the applaudible pre-award summits that brought together professionals within the industry.A new order must start from the planning process down to the execution. The current structure that has resulted in questionable nominations, utterly ridiculous presenters (what’s with the obsession with Big Brother Naija stars, Instagram celebrities, and friends of the brand?), poor production, and general unprofessionalism must be jettisoned for a new one that understands and reflects the yearning of a new generation. Rebranding isn’t the award ceremony vacationing for two years in Atlanta, or returning to Lagos as a flashy I just got back (IJGB). It’s not putting old wine in new bottles. Rebranding requires an honest overhaul of all the factors responsible for the current outcome. The Headies Academy needs to go back to the drawing board to analyse where it all went wrong, what it will take to fix it, and identify the private and public partners needed to get the award back on track. Connect with a new generation Balancing Capitalism with an Altruistic Vision