The debate surrounding the recognition of faith-based music in mainstream award shows has reached a critical boiling point. Renowned Afrogospel artiste Gaise Baba has publicly criticized the organizers of The Headies Awards for what he describes as the systemic exclusion and sidelining of gospel and faith-based musicians from major award categories.
In an open letter addressed to the award organizers via X (formerly Twitter), the veteran musician voiced deep concerns about how the industry treats faith-centered art. Having spent over 15 years navigating the Nigerian music ecosystem, Gaise Baba emphasized that gospel records should be evaluated on the same artistic standards—pen game, delivery, cadence, and production quality—as any mainstream project, rather than being sequestered into isolated niche brackets.
Genre Over Gospel: Breaking Down the Argument
At the heart of Gaise Baba’s critique is the fundamental distinction between musical genre and lyrical theme. According to the artiste, a rap song does not cease to be a rap song simply because its lyrics touch on spiritual subjects instead of wealth, romance, or street life.
“A rap record is a rap record. It does not stop being rap because of what the artiste chose to rap about. Whether the record is about money, fame, sex, debauchery, or faith, the craft, pen game, cadence, delivery, and the flow are what makes it a rap record, not the subject matter,” he stated in his letter.
He argued that restricting faith-based tracks solely to “Inspirational” or “Gospel” categories essentially removes them from broader, merit-based industry conversations. If secular tracks exploring raw or provocative themes are celebrated for their pure artistic value and given full exposure across major categories, faith-based music deserves equal placement on the main stage.
Past Disappointments and Award Night Omissions
While acknowledging that the introduction of the Inspirational Music category in 2022 was a step in the right direction, Gaise Baba highlighted significant operational flaws during previous ceremonies. Recalling his experience as a nominee for his hit track Particularly (featuring Tope Alabi), he revealed that the Inspirational Music category was completely skipped on stage during the main broadcast.
Despite attending pre-award receptions, media rounds, and the main event, nominees in that category were never called up to receive recognition in front of the audience. He noted that over 30 categories were called during a broadcast lasting more than five hours, making the omission of specific categories feel like a direct disregard for the nominated creatives.
Cultural Impact and Mainstage Inclusion
Looking ahead to the upcoming 18th Headies ceremony in Toronto, Canada, Gaise Baba challenged industry stakeholders and listeners to reconsider how they measure cultural resonance. Pointing to massively viral faith-based records like Favour and No Turning Back II, he questioned how many mainstream tracks released within the same review period achieved comparable national and international impact.
For the 2026 Headies edition, Gaise Baba and Lawrence Oyor’s No Turning Back 2 is nominated for Best Inspirational Single alongside prominent works by Sinach, Mercy Chinwo, Sunmisola Agbebi, and EmmaOMG. However, the overarching demand remains clear: faith-based musicians are no longer content remaining in the background. They are calling for an inclusive platform where craft is judged purely by its quality, reach, and cultural significance.
