During the 16th edition of the Headies Awards held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, USA, organizers left the audience bewildered by failing to announce winners in 13 categories. The co-host, actress Osas Ighodaro, surprisingly declared the ceremony’s end midway, with numerous categories remaining unaddressed. Notably, no female award category was presented, and this unexpected closure around 2:30 AM Nigerian time raised various reactions on social media.
The categories left unannounced encompassed Best Female Artiste, Best Recording of The Year, Songwriter of The Year, Best RnB Single, Best Vocal Performance (Female), Headies Viewers’ Choice, and Best East African Artiste of the Year. Additionally, Best North African Artiste of The Year, Best Southern African Artiste of The Year, Best Central African Artiste of The Year, International Artiste Of The Year, Best Alternative Album, and Best RnB Album remained undisclosed.
While some speculated that the hasty closure might have been due to time constraints at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, the event’s premature ending sparked mixed reactions on social media. Amidst this, Rema secured the Best Male Artiste of the Year award, Asake received a brand new car for winning the prestigious Next Rated category, and Odumodublvck celebrated becoming a Lagos landlord as the Rookie of the Year.