Gaise Baba Critiques The Headies for Sidelining Gospel Music

Gospel artiste Gaise Baba criticized The Headies for the alleged sidelining of faith-based music in major award categories. In an open letter published on X on August 28, 2026, he insisted that gospel artistes should be judged alongside their peers based on the quality, creativity, and impact of their music.

The 18th edition of The Headies is set to take place in Toronto, Canada, on October 25, 2026. Gaise Baba, who has over 15 years of experience in the Nigerian music industry, argued that faith-based music should not be limited to inspirational categories but should compete in mainstream categories based on artistic merit.

He recalled his disappointment when the Inspirational Music category, for which he was nominated for “Particularly” featuring Tope Alabi, was not presented during the main ceremony of the previous edition. He urged The Headies organizers to ensure that all announced categories receive adequate time for presentation during the awards ceremony.