Nigerian singer and songwriter Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, popularly known as Ayra Starr, has lashed out over how the Best Female Artist of the Year was presented at the Headies Awards 2023, which she claims she won’t celebrate.
The singer and songwriter, who wasn’t pleased with how the organizers presented her winning, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express her dissatisfaction.
Ayra stated that she would not celebrate such a win, indicating that women have put so much effort into their craft to be presented with an award that is supposed to recognize their efforts off-stage and not at the main event itself.
“I will never be grateful for winning a category that wasn’t even deemed fit to be announced on stage! Best female artist na beans? We work hard, every single one of us! I’ve seen Tiwa record 4 hit songs in the same night, Tems breaths and lives for music, we didn’t deserve such nonchalance! Nigeria, you didn’t raise me to settle for less” She said.
The Best Female Artist of the Year 2023 category was not announced during the live event at the Headies Awards 2023, which was held on Sunday, September 3, 2023, but was rather confirmed on social media after the event.
The singer picked the best female artist of the year over her fellow Nigerian compatriots: Tiwa Savage, Simi, and Tems. However, she missed out on the other three awards for which she gained nominations, which include Aftobeats Single, Digital Artiste, and Viewer’s Choice.
The Headies is a music awards show established in 2006 by the Hip Hop World Magazine of Nigeria to recognize outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry. The annual ceremony features performances by established and promising artists. It is broadcast live on HipTV to viewers across Nigeria.
Story by: Michael Tobi Ashiwaju