The race for the 2026 Headies Rookie of the Year award is set, with seven emerging Nigerian artistes competing for the honor.
Amma, Danpapa GTA, FirstKlaz, Kidd Carder, NO11, Priesst and OG Abbah were announced as nominees for the category at the 18th Headies.
The category covers music released between August 1, 2024, and April 30, 2026. It recognizes an emerging artiste who made a breakthrough during the period and had not released a commercially distributed full-length album before the eligibility window.
The Rookie of the Year award has previously gone to artistes who later established themselves in the Nigerian music industry. Recent winners include Zerry DL, Odumodublvck, Fave, Bad Boy Timz, Barry Jhay and Teni.
With that history, the 2026 nominees are entering a category that has previously highlighted several rising talents.
AMMA
Amma has built her identity around a soft and emotional R&B sound. Her song “I Love You,” released in February 2026, became an important part of her rise during the eligibility period. The track also earned a nomination for Best R&B Single at the 18th Headies.
Her catalogue also includes “Where Did You Go,” “Is This Really Love” and “Sorry.”
Her music focuses heavily on melody, emotion and songwriting, giving her a distinct sound within this year’s Rookie of the Year category.
DANPAPA GTA
Danpapa GTA brings a strong hip-hop and Nigerian street-music influence to the category.
His recent releases include “Ikeja (No Go Thief),” “Window Shopping,” “40 Naira,” “Suffering & Smiling,” “Vanity,” “Something,” “Balloons,” “Oja” and “Chanel.”
His 2025 project, Genz Kuti (Deluxe), has also contributed to his growing profile as an emerging rapper.
Danpapa has collaborated with other rising artistes, including Solution GTA on “Dijo (Red-Light)” and Davee Thompson on “Something.”
FIRSTKLAZ
Abuja-based artiste FirstKlaz has developed a sound that blends several Nigerian musical styles.
The Afrobeats and Afro-fusion artiste incorporates Fuji, R&B, hip-hop and traditional Hausa influences into his music.
His catalogue includes “Gen-Z Fuji,” “Gen-Z Fuji II” featuring Terry Apala, “Gen-Z Faaji” featuring Joeboy, “Gen-Z Arewa,” “Alhaji” and “Soyaiya.”
Another major release during the eligibility period was “Gen-Z Arewazobia,” featuring Jeriq and Zlatan. The song brought Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba influences together.
His collaborations with established artistes have also helped introduce his sound to a wider audience.
KIDD CARDER
Kidd Carder has built his profile through consistent releases and a growing catalogue.
The Lagos-based Afrobeats artiste initially started out as a rapper and made music covers before moving further into singing. His catalogue includes “Calculate,” “Calculate II,” “Go Crazy” and “Do Better.”
In 2026, he released the Before I Blow EP, featuring songs such as “Intro,” “Gobe,” “Elevate” and “Eye Witness.”
He also released “Big Bum Bum” and “Come On”, while appearing on tracks including CKay’s “African Girls,” BarryDHype’s “Party Jam” and Zicoflows’ “Energy.”
NO11
Abuja-based artiste NO11 brings hip-hop and Afro-fusion influences to the Rookie of the Year race.
His releases include “How Far,” “Shima II,” “No Love in Lagos,” “Composure,” “Show Me The Way,” “On Sight,” “Man of the Hour,” “Warrior” and “Way2easy.”
His song “How Far” received another boost through a remix featuring South African artistes Focalistic and Ciza, alongside Nigerian artistes Famous Pluto and Ayjay Bobo.
Released in March 2026, the remix connected Nigerian and South African sounds while expanding the song’s reach.
PRIESST
Priesst, whose real name is Caleb Odugbose, describes his sound as a blend of Afrobeats, Afropop and rap with African influences.
His breakthrough releases include “Akonuche,” “Puff Puff Pass” and “Osimhen.”
He also released the 2025 album KURIMA, which expanded his catalogue with tracks including “Soldier.”
Songs such as “Akonuche” and “Omo” have contributed to his growing audience and profile.
OG ABBAH
OG Abbah represents the Hausa-influenced side of Nigeria’s emerging music scene.
The artiste gained significant attention with “Wayyo Allah Na,” which became associated with the viral “Kakashe Kakashe” phrase on social media.
The song gained traction on TikTok in 2025, helping introduce OG Abbah’s sound to a wider audience.
He has also released “Samu Kudinka Kawai Ka Kashe,” another track that combines Hausa influences with contemporary Afrobeat.
WHO WILL WIN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?
The 2026 Rookie of the Year category brings together seven artistes with different musical identities and routes into the spotlight.
From Amma’s R&B and Dan papa GTA’s hip-hop to FirstKlaz’s cultural fusion, Kidd Carder’s Afrobeat, NO11’s Afro-fusion, Priesst’s Afropop and rap and OG Abbah’s Hausa-influenced sound, the nominees represent different sides of Nigeria’s emerging music scene.
Previous winners such as Teni, Barry Jhay, Bad Boy Timz, Fave, Odumodublvck and Zerry DL have given the category a notable history.
Now, Amma, Danpapa GTA, FirstKlaz, Kidd Carder, NO11, Priesst and OG Abbah are the latest artistes to enter the spotlight.
The winner will be announced at the 18th Headies in Toronto, adding another name to the Rookie of the Year roll of honor.
