The organisers of the Headies Awards have pushed back against criticism from Afro-fusion gospel artiste Gaise Baba over what he described as the marginalisation of faith-based music on one of Nigeria’s biggest music award platforms.
The response followed concerns raised by Gaise Baba about the place of gospel and faith-inspired music within the Headies’ award structure. The artiste had questioned why songs rooted in faith were frequently directed towards inspirational categories instead of competing more regularly in the mainstream categories.
In a detailed statement shared on Instagram, the Headies organisers defended their record of recognising gospel and inspirational artistes, insisting that faith-based musicians have historically been given opportunities to compete for and win major awards.
The organisers pointed to several prominent gospel artistes who have received recognition at the awards, including Lara George, Kefee, Nikki Laoye and Timi Dakolo.
According to the Headies, the achievements of these artistes demonstrate that gospel musicians have not been categorically excluded from the wider award categories.
The controversy centres partly on the distinction between mainstream and inspirational music at the awards. Gaise Baba’s criticism questioned whether creating separate spaces for faith-based music could inadvertently limit its visibility and recognition within the broader Nigerian music industry.
The Headies, however, explained that its introduction of the Best Inspirational Single category in 2022 was intended to expand opportunities for artistes whose works carry inspirational, spiritual or faith-based themes.
Rather than serving as a mechanism for excluding gospel artistes from mainstream recognition, the organisers said the category was created to ensure that more deserving works could be acknowledged.
The organisers also addressed concerns surrounding the presentation of some award categories during the live broadcast.
With the Headies now featuring 35 categories, the organisers said it has become necessary to operate a rotation system to accommodate the length and demands of the televised ceremony.
They explained that not every category can be presented on stage during every edition because of time constraints, adding that the Inspirational category is included in the same rotation.
The Headies stressed that the decision not to present a particular category on stage in a given year should therefore not be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to diminish the category or the artistes competing in it.
The clarification comes amid a broader conversation within Nigeria’s music industry about how award bodies classify music that does not fit neatly into conventional commercial genres.
For gospel artistes, the debate touches on questions of visibility, commercial recognition and whether faith-based music should be judged solely within specialised categories or compete on equal terms with other genres.
The Headies’ response seeks to draw a distinction between categorisation and exclusion, with the organisers maintaining that the existence of an Inspirational category is intended to recognise a specific body of work while leaving room for gospel artistes to compete in general categories when their music meets the relevant criteria.
The exchange between Gaise Baba and the Headies has consequently renewed discussions about the evolving place of gospel music within Nigeria’s increasingly diverse popular music industry.