The Headies should matter more than the Grammys for Nigerian artists – Lojay
Nigerian singer and Grammy-nominated artist Lojay has sparked renewed conversation about the value of local recognition after stating that The Headies Awards should be more important to Nigerian artists than international accolades like the Grammys.
In a candid interview aired on Hip TV, Lojay, who recently won Best Male Vocal Performance at the 17th Headies, made the case for why Nigerian creatives should invest more pride in indigenous platforms that authentically represent and prioritize their work.
“As much as the Grammys and other international awards are sweet, as a Nigerian, you can never become priority in a space that is not your own,” Lojay said on Friday, May 30.
‘We’re always fighting for space’
Lojay pointed out what he described as a persistent lack of prioritization of African artists by international award bodies.
“We are advocating just to be put in Pop categories in the Grammys for actual pop songs,” he explained.
“Tems made one of the most beautiful R&B albums last year and they [Grammys] gave her Best African Music Performance award. Why is she not being spoken about in the R&B, Pop and Best Female categories?”
He said such sidelining is not surprising, as these award platforms naturally favor their own national artists, and African talents will always be seen as outsiders.
“Because they have people from their own country that they feel deserve these awards—and that’s okay,” Lojay noted.
A vision for The Headies on a global stage
Rather than seeking validation abroad, Lojay urged Nigerian artists and fans to elevate The Headies to global relevance, envisioning a future where international stars compete for and attend Nigerian awards.
“What would help me as a Nigerian artist, is for The Headies to be so well recognised that American artists win Headies awards and come to Nigeria to receive them.
I would love a world when Travis Scott comes to Nigeria for The Headies.”
He stressed that no real benefit comes from the Grammys being bigger than The Headies—for Nigerian artists or the local industry.
“We don’t gain anything from the Grammys being bigger. Everybody gains something from The Headies being bigger.”
A call to believe in Nigeria
Lojay concluded his remarks with a message of cultural confidence and national pride:
“I’m a big believer in Nigeria. I believe in Nigeria being better, I believe in Nigeria being stronger. I believe in our people and the things that we are doing going global. So, we should not look down on our own things.”
