Headies, Your Misogyny is Showing

The 2023 Headies Awards were just another reminder of how women continue to be sidelined in the Nigerian music industry. While male categories were celebrated on stage, female categories were left unannounced and only posted on social media.

Written by Victoria Audu

Sep 10, 2023

Photo Illustration by Victoria Audu/The Republic.

On Sunday, 03 September 2023, the 16th annual The Headies was held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, USA. The award show is one of the biggest African-focused music awards and is intended to celebrate African talent. Although the award is expected to hold enormous prestige for African artists, its most recent edition ended up belittling the nominated female artists.

THE PROBLEM

The award ceremony was hosted by Nigerian actress, Osas Ighodaro who announced a sudden end to the show leaving 14 awards to be presented. Included in the ‘forgotten’ awards were all female category awards: Best Female Artiste and Best Vocal Performance (Female). The winners for these categories, along with those of other categories including, Best Recording of The Year, Songwriter of The Year, and Best RnB Single, were announced on social media.

The decision to announce all female-specific awards exclusively on social media, while male categories were represented on stage, highlights a significant issue in a society with deeply ingrained misogyny and a music industry that often sidelines female talent. The lack of discontent among the Nigerian masses is equally worrisome.

NIGERIA’S MISOGYNISTIC SOCIETY

Nigeria is a society tainted with deeply rooted gender biases and misogyny. Nigerian women often face numerous challenges and barriers in various aspects of life. These are evident when they are thrust into environments like schools, offices, politics and even the entertainment industry. In the music sector, female artists often encounter discrimination, sexual harassment, and unequal opportunities compared to their male counterparts. The decision to relegate female-specific awards to social media sends a disheartening message about the value placed on women’s accomplishments in the industry.

Pop star, Ayra Starr, who won the Best Female Artiste category voiced her displeasure with the afterthought treatment. She wrote on her ‘X’ account, ‘I will never be grateful for winning a category that wasn’t even deemed fit to be announced on stage! Best female artist na beans?’

She also stood up for other women in the industry including Tiwa Savage and Tems and concluded by saying, ‘Nigeria, you didn’t raise me to settle for less.’ But if history is any indicator, Nigeria’s music industry is set up to allow such treatment.

In 2021, Simi, another widely popular female Nigerian artist spoke to BBC about her #NobodyLikeWoman campaign. She addressed challenges she faced in the course of her work including the pressures to be provocative and stereotypes about her being unable to work after starting a family. She added that someone even questioned why she was charging ‘so much’ for concert tickets when she was pregnant.

You’ve Reached Your Limit of Free Reading.

The Republic is a Nigerian media-tech company dedicated to explaining our time—through deeply reported journalism on power, culture and society.

Ad-Free Reading Experience

Focused consumption without interruptions.

Unlimited Access to Exclusive Archives

Years of reporting at your fingertips.

In-Depth Deep-dive Reporting

Long-form journalism that matters.

Create a free account to continue reading this month and access more of our work.

About the Author

Victoria Audu

is a Junior Editor at The Republic.

Comments

SHOP THE REPUBLIC

The Sinister Side of Oluremi Tinubu’s ‘Entrepreneurial Citizenship’

The recent rhetoric of micro-entrepreneurship advanced by Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, harks back to longstanding assumptions about poverty in Africa while echoing a newer, more insidious discourse of entrepreneurial citizenship. Taken together, these narratives serve the interests of African governments and powerful external actors.

—March 22, 2026

The Night Women of Benin City

As daylight fades in Benin City, women step into the night to sustain families, communities and an informal economy that keeps the city alive. The women-led night markets of Benin transform into spaces of survival, solidarity and quiet resistance.

—March 22, 2026

The Speculative Worlds of ‘Yan Crypto

You thought the Nigerian cryptocurrency ecosystem was confined to Lagos? Think again. Meet northern Nigeria’s ‘yan crypto and the digital worlds of volatile money they deftly navigate.

—December 21, 2025

Inside Nigerian Freelancers’ Currency Trap

Nigeria’s freelance economy is growing, but for millions of digital workers, receiving international payments remains an extreme sport. If the country wants to export digital labour and capture its value at home, it must first fix how that labour gets paid.

—November 9, 2025

What Naira Decoupling Means for Nigeria’s Economy

For decades, oil has dictated the fate of the naira. When crude prices soared, the currency strengthened; when they collapsed, the naira buckled. This cycle, so familiar to Nigerians, once seemed unbreakable.

Subscribe to our free newsletter.

What’s your e-mail?

You’re in — welcome to The Republic

Complete your onboarding

Read

Connect

Apps