The 2022 Headies Awards ceremony, which was held at the Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, has received mixed reviews.

The 15th edition's organizer decided to stage the event outside of Nigeria, unlike previous years. Anthony Andersen, an American performer, and Osas Ighodaro, a Nigerian actress, served as the event's hosts.

There was a general outcry over the hosting in the United States for this year's edition, "Join the Movement," which honored outstanding accomplishments in the Nigerian music industry.

At the Headies, Burnaboy, Wizkid, and Tems took home the top prizes, while BNXN FKA Buju won the Next Rated division and left with a Bentley.

Some Nigerians, who disapproved of the decision to hold the award ceremony in the US, claimed Anthony Andersen, the American host, was unrelated to them.

Others who didn't think Andersen was a good choice questioned why Bovi or Basket Mouth, two other Nigerian hosts, weren't given the chance to host the prestigious award.

Some of the responses are listed below:

@_AsiwajuLerry on Twitter said, ”We have an outstanding and funny host like Bovi, and you’re letting this dry brother host with Osas? God will judge you Headies.”

@itzbasito, “Walahi, Bovi, or Basketmouth would have done a better job than this guy. Not that he’s not good, but he’s finding it hard to connect with the audience.”

@ilevs”It is just like saying Bovi is cracking Naija jokes to US citizens. They might not laugh because they don’t understand the type of our jokes, not that he is not funny. Every comedian knows what can make their citizens laugh. That’s just the situation Anthony is in now.”

@DanielRegh, ”Headies’ nominees shouldn’t attend the event. Anyone who’s smart will turn down the award even if they win, because attending or accepting the award is disgraceful. Imagine hosting one of Africa’s biggest music awards in another continent. This is why foreigners keep underrating us.

@abelpterThe Nigerian obsession with foreign/American validation is insane. "Andy Anderson and Osas Ighodaro will be hosting the 2022 Headies awards. I honestly still don’t understand why the Headies awards are being hosted in the US. That’s something no other African country would do. The Nigerian obsession with foreign/American validation is insane.”

@Felix_Onyemaech, ”Headies took Nigeria’s biggest music award show to Yankee. One of the most unintelligent decisions I’ve seen. This is why Burna Boy says they don’t rate us.”

On why the award was taken to the US, Headies founder, Ayo Animashaun, told Billboard that ”Over the years, the Afrobeats artists have grown, they’ve evolved. They’re no longer local champions. They sell out concert venues around the world, from Madison Square Garden to [Atlanta’s] State Farm Arena. Afrobeats is not just about our own music anymore.

”We need to take center stage, because there are so many artists doing Afrobeats that nobody’s going to see if you do not create opportunities like this. There are so many now that a lot of people don’t know about yet, and they are so talented.”

However, one of the organizers who pleaded anonymity lamented that most of the people who were to attend the show were frustrated.

Recall that Wizkid failed to show up at the event, alongside Burna Boy and several others.