10 most popular Nigerian celebrities of the year [Pulse Picks 2022]

October 14, 2024

From films to music, comedy, and content creation, there was a significant increase in the recipients of the many good tidings the industry has to offer.

Many industry players experienced sporadic growth as a result of this upward mobility, which also resulted in a level of popularity for them.

For this article, the Pulse Celebrity Desk will be taking a look at the hottest male celebrities in Nigeria for 2022.

While there are many old-timers on this list, there are many newcomers too, and that's the list's greatest win.

Asake (musician)

Like his penchant for "Ololade mi Asake," Asake, who signed to Olamide's YBNL label, has undoubtedly been one of Nigeria's most popular and talked-about celebrities.

With ‘Omo Ope’ launching him into the limelight, Asake has been this year’s golden revelation, with his releases being back-to-back hits.

His debut album, ‘Mr. Money With The Vibe’ set several records and redefined the music space for the year. From being the first artist in Nigeria to have as many as eight top-ten entries in a week on any aggregate chart to having all of his debut album's tracks occupy the first 12 spots on Apple Music Nigeria's Top 100, he certainly dominated the music scene.

Apart from garnering popularity with his non-stop music releases and unique fuji-fusion music style, he constantly got people talking with his eccentric fashion style, from his Joha pants to his interesting hair and bedazzled teeth.

Asake might as well make his way to the top of the Nigerian music space in years to come, but only time will tell.

Burna Boy (musician)

The self-proclaimed African giant undoubtedly had a great year in 2022, snagging more Grammy nominations as well as record-breaking wins and achievements. Throughout the year, Burna Boy headlined several international shows, all of which were huge successes.

He added to his growing collection of trophies after winning the "Best African Act" award at the 2022 MTV EMAs and two awards at the Nigerian Headies.

Burna boy’s music broke the barriers of race and nationally as his song 'Last Last' peaked as one of the most listened to song in the world and his sound got featured on Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’

Davido (musician)

Davido remains one of the most talked-about and popular celebrities from this part of the world. In 2022, the music star made the headlines for several reasons, as usual.

Davido also made headlines for history-making achievements. This year, he became the first Afrobeats musician to ever appear on the FIFA World Cup theme song in 2022.

'Hayya Hayya' (Better Together), served as the official music for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and featured vocal contributions by Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and Aisha.

The artist also revealed a brand-new clothing partnership with the German multinational company PUMA for 2022. The Afrobeats star also walked the runway during New York Fashion Week and has continued the trend with the new Africanized line.

Davido also became the first Nigerian artist to perform at the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup final.

Beyond the career space, Davido made headlines when he and his formerly-estranged girlfriend Chioma Rowland fixed their relationship and even sparked marriage rumors

The year wasn’t all rosy for the artist, as he lost his first son, Ifeanyi, to the cold hands of death in November.

Sabinus (Content Creator/Skit Maker)

Everyone knows this guy! From memes to Tiktok trends and an extraordinarily hilarious and eccentric comedic demeanor, Sabinus earns every right to be on this list.

The popular content creator won the award for the best online content creator at the 2022 AMVCA and 2022 GAGE Awards.

Sabinus also reached a major milestone in 2022 when he was announced as one of the top 10 content creators on YouTube Nigeria. His unique comedic tropes have made him a fan favourite, with many wishing him more successful runs.

Tems (Musician)

Tems, who was described as a "newcomer" on last year's Pulse Picks for most popular artists, has returned this year but as a 'regular customer,’ being one of the most decorated and talked-about artists of the year 2022.

Bagging Grammy nominations and Golden Globe nominations, the artist has set herself up as an artist and celebrity that no one can ignore.

Tems wrote the song ‘Lift Me Up’ as an original soundtrack for Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, ‘ a song which was performed by Rihana upon her return from a 7-year hiatus.

Tems also received numerous awards and nominations throughout the year, solidifying her promising future in the industry.

In addition, the singer landed the cover of the popular magazine ‘Dazed,’ which got a lot of people talking about her.

Kunle Remi (Actor)

Remi landed on this list following his infamous performance as Saro in Kunle Afolayan's ‘Anikulapo’ and the conversation it generated.

Prior to playing Saro, the actor had been a subject of discussion owing to his exceptional performances in films such as Biodun Stephen's 'Introducing the Kujus.'

His regular, hilarious videos on Instagram as well as his increasingly toned physique also peaked many people’s attention, including ours.

Oxlade (Musician)

The ‘Ku Lo Sa’ singer is one of the most popular celebrities in Nigeria this year. Little wonder he is the most Googled artist of the year.

The singer first made headlines early in the year when his bedroom affair got leaked but came back with a much stronger media presence when he released his hit song 'Ku Lo Sa: A Colors Show.'

The song's dance challenge went viral on Tiktok, propelling the artist to international prominence, earning several remixes with global artists, and selling out shows worldwide.

Kizz Daniel (Musician)

2022 is undoubtedly one of Kizz Daniel's best years, with his songs becoming major hits across the world.

His song, 'Buga,' earned him a performance at the 2022 World Cup. For Daniel, this was a dream come true, as the singer had taken to his Twitter page months earlier to say that he wished to perform his hit song, 'Buga,' at the tournament.

He wrote on June 22: "God, I want to perform ‘Buga’ for the World Cup with a mass choir. Help me say ‘amen’ (sic)."

A few months later, his wish came true, and he performed on the World Cup stage in Qatar.

Kizz Daniel’s ‘Buga’ and ‘Cough’ are two of the most viral TikTok sounds of 2022.

Portable (Musician)

Mr Zazu is probably the most controversial on this list. Habeeb Okikiola, better known as Portable, earned his spot on this list by being a street sensational hip-hop artist and a part-time comedian.

For Portable, being on this list is not in relation to any huge achievements or milestones. It is primarily due to the fact that this man generated as many conversations on social media and in person as any of the artists mentioned above.

Okikiola bagged a nomination at the 2022 Headies for best street hop artist but was disqualified following controversial tropes that the singer is known for.

His debut song, ‘Zazu Zeh,’ remains one of the many street songs that still bang after months of its release.

Oba Solomoni (Public Figure)

Adelana Adekunle Solomon, known better as Oba Solomon Agbaye, is a Nigerian YouTuber as well as a self-acclaimed and controversial Instagram prophet.

His hilarious comedic signature makes him a favorite for a lot of people. He became a trendy name after he prophesied that the national leader of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who had indicated an interest in running for the 2023 presidential election, wouldn’t win.

Adelana went further to comment on so many issues, leading to several controversies.

Notable Mentions:

Ayra Starr

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