Afrobeats is no longer just a “sound” from West Africa—it is a global phenomenon. From sold-out stadium tours in London to viral dance challenges on TikTok, Nigerian music is currently the heartbeat of global pop culture.
Are you looking for the top Nigerian music artists making waves in the music industry at the moment? You should actually check out our list, as we have compiled a comprehensive list of the hottest musicians in 2026.
The history of Nigerian music is exciting. We have seen the changes of the old guard finally slow down after many consecutive years. The young bucks have similarly taken over.
Rap music has also become the new king. And the music scene is constantly changing, but the dust is finally settled.
So these are the top Nigerian artists that are making waves in the music industry presently.
Rema: The Heis Era
Unlike 2019, Rema didn’t release any work in 2020. But in early 2020, he released “Aliens” and “Beamer (Bad Boy)” with Rvssian. He also won “Dumebi (Remix)” and Becky G (Becky G) on Manny Norte’s single “4 Am” in the second quarter of 2020. TikTok Nigeria’s hottest song list tops the list.
He then released the double heads “Ginger Me” and “Woman,” which appear in mainstream Nigeria. His strength grows day by day as he tries to “date” his biggest fans. Her Twitter rim shuts down social media for a day, and her hairstyle is all the rage on the go.
In 2026, Rema was crowned AFRIMA Artist of the Year (January 2026), and his track “FUN” is currently dominating.
Wizkid: The Morayo Influence
“Baba Bolu” did not perform in the second half of 2019. The EP is Soundman Vol. It’s 1. After a series of experiences supported by features from DJ Tunes and Blaq Jerzee’s single “Arizona,” Wizkid sang the beautiful song “Smile,” which won a Grammy.
The album’s success (both in reviews and in business) confirmed WizKid’s status and continued to grow in size. The album ranked 80 on the Billboard 200 and featured in the top ten Spotify album charts worldwide. It’s the same week as Taylor Swift and Sam Smith.
Recently, he just made history as the first African artist to hit 10 billion Spotify streams. That’s a great achievement as a musician.
Burna Boy: The African Giant
The singer’s grateful scene is unmatched by any other Nigerian singer. He played the single “Anyone” on Jimmy Kimmel Live and did extra damage and everything on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show.” People Medley Berna Boya (Burna Boy) was interviewed by Trevor Noah (Trevernoah) on The Daily Show.
He also performed “Ye and Anybody Medley” on Coachella in 2019 (this event led to his album “African Giant”), was interviewed on Big Boy Neighborhood, and featured in a Wall Street Journal article. Nigerian artists rarely see these platforms.
Burna Boy, fresh off his 7th consecutive Grammy nomination and his hit album No Sign of Weakness
Davido: The 001 Legend
Omo Baba OlowoIn early 2020, Davido was on the road to launching the COVID-19 pandemic. So he was trapped in the house and had a better time. Next is the infamous Burna Boy song “FEM.” This will eventually become Nigeria’s End SARS protest national anthem. No one knows what is happening.
He also released “Jowo,” but his video is not of the year with comments. Davido also appeared in Mallorkun’s “Betty Butter,” Ajebo Hustler’s “Balawo (Remix),” and Orakira’s “Maserati (Remix).” He also released “So Crazy” with Lil Baby, but it wasn’t prevalent.
Davido recently celebrated reaching over 150 career awards. He remains the king of collaboration, with his track “With You” (feat. Omah Lay) being a staple this year
Oladapo: The Soul of the Party
Oladapo Tonades’ 2019 single “Gbe Gbodi” (sweet, syrupy vocals and catchy visuals) is enough to make you believe. As if that weren’t enough, he also pays homage to the hit single “Konko Under” with his debut single “Man Go,” listing Blow, Burna Boy, and Ragbaja as his main inspirations. Oradapo means great.
Tiwa Savage
After summer 2019, Tiwa Savage entered 2020 with “Dangerous Love” as a tune. Next comes “Koloba” and then the very popular “Temptation” by Sam Smith. Her studio album “Celia” was actually next, and then the music video “Ole” by Naira Marley. She has also won numerous nominations for the MOBO Awards, MTV African Music Awards, and Grand Prix.
Besides, she has also participated in renowned stage productions and the 2020 MOBO Awards. Similarly, she also starred in Billboard with David and Easy.
Recent Awards & Nominations (2025–2026)
MOBO Awards 2026: On January 15, 2026, Tiwa was officially nominated for Best African Music Act. The ceremony is set to take place in Manchester this March.
Grammy Submissions 2026: Tiwa made one of the most ambitious bids of her career by submitting seven entries for the upcoming 68th Grammy Awards (February 2026). These include:
- Best Global Music Album (for her 2025 album This One Is Personal).
- Best African Music Performance (for the hit “You4Me”).
- Best R&B Performance and Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Forbes Africa Awards 2025: She was honored with the Media Icon Award in South Africa, recognizing her as a rule-breaker and leader in the African entertainment industry.
Fireboy DML: The Soul of Apollo
The laughs, tears, and Goosebumps were still going strong when Fireboy released his second album, Apollo. Fortunately, the handling and performance of the album are excellent. Fireboy wasn’t a massive success in 2020, but he went beyond the music side to become a generalist. He also praised Recollections, Kewpie, Peruzzi, and other features.
In 2020, Headies was the most nominated artist with nine nominations. He was also nominated for Best African Law at the 2020 MOBO Awards.
Major Performance Highlights (2025–2026)
Royal Albert Hall Sell-Out (April 2025): Fireboy made history by selling out London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. He was awarded a special plaque for this feat, joining the ranks of legends like Adele and Wizkid. The show featured surprise guest appearances from Teni, Lil Kesh, and Ayo Maff.
GTBank Music Concert, Ghana (December 2025): He headlined this massive stadium concert in Accra, where his live band arrangements of “Peru” and “Everyday” were the highlights of the night.
Omah Lay
Although rarely named MVP for his debut, Omah Lay seems to have won the debut of Steve Nash or Kobe Bryant. Literally, he won the basketball game and created a star-studded game by throwing 3 points without blinking.
At the end of 2020, “Bad Impact” became the most-played Nigerian song on Apple Music. For a basically unknown boy until February 2020, he made the most of the building blocks and played in his favor. “You” look like a winner until you get rid of the “bad influence.” The sky doesn’t seem to slow down, so it’s the current starting point.
Recent Awards & Nominations
Grammy Awards 2026: In November 2025, Omah Lay received his first Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance for the song “With You,” a collaboration with Davido. The ceremony is scheduled for February 1, 2026.
17th Headies Awards (2025): He was nominated for Best Vocal Performance (Male) for his track “Moving.”
Streaming Milestones: His collaboration with Davido, “With You,” was confirmed as Nigeria’s most-streamed song on Spotify for 2025.
Mayorkun: The Mayor of Lagos
By sometime in 2020, Mayorkun seemed to be the hottest move in Nigeria in 2020 and could have dismissed all jobs during the blockade. As a young artist, he gave up the last traces of his youth and opened his confidence in him. Looks like a man.
He can become an artist and consistently dominate this feature while providing cross-flow visibility. His game was challenging, from B-category singers to those who began to show A-category features.
Simi
Shimisora (known as Shimi), a musician and CEO of Studio Brat, will be one of the top 10 hottest artists in Nigeria in 2026. After more than five years of successful music activity in the industry, pop music distribution will begin in 2020. The song Ladipo knows you.
Even so, Stains 2020 has been ridiculous since January, despite having kids and being abroad. Ladi Poe won his first hit album, and “Duduke” became the national anthem on Nigeria’s streets with their participation. Probably the highest number in Nigeria in 2026.
Conclusion
Nigerian artists are currently doing a great job, and in 2026, they are utilizing social trends to create music, experiment with sounds, share songs, and are entirely considerate.
Our ranking is based on data on the most influential charts for albums for sale (digital and physical sales), broadcast, streaming, downloading from top entertainment sites in Africa (Nigeria), and social media.