Headies drama: Organisers Release Statement

The organisers of the annual Headies awards have issued a statement following the controversy that trailed  it especially in the Next Rated category which was won by Reekado.

Fans and even the CEO of YBNL Nation, Olamide felt his protégé Lil Kesh should have won in the Next Rated category which sparked a war of words between Don Jazzy and Olamide on social media with some fans insinuating that money may have changed hands for the organisers to have handed the award for the Next Rated category to Reekado Banks.

Reacting to that allegation and more, the award organisers in the statement released noted that the limit they can go in categories such as the Next Rated cadre which requires fans to vote is to is to advice the nominees to engage their fans and solicit for their votes. 

"The voting categories, such as 'Song Of The Year', 'Artist Of The Year', & 'Next-Rated' are left strictly for fans to vote and choose the winners. We wish to say categorically that we do not tamper with the outcome of the voting process. The limit of our involvement in this voting process is to advice the nominees to engage their fans and solicit for their votes. We do not accept any responsibility for failure on the part of the nominees or their record label, when they fail to do this.

"Unfortunately, most times, Voting, Year In Review and Definitions Of Each Category, are generally taken for granted by many artists. We can also attest to, and hereby state categorically that, there is no evidence that any of the artistes aggrieved and vocal about their displeasure to the turnout of the award, voted in the 'Next-Rated' category, as our voting process captures email addresses and phone numbers.

"We have ensured that the awards happened regardless of sponsorship, and that it gets better with each passing year, without giving excuses about challenges. We may not have gotten everything 100% right, but integrity has been our watch-word. The 109 Nigerian artistes that have won can attest to the fact that they did nothing different from those that have not. Awards by nature, are and will always remain, controversial except every nominee gets one." The statement by the organisers read in part.