United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, says the choice of Atlanta to host the 2022 Headies award symbolises the growing popularity of Nigerian music in the U.S.

Billed to take place on July 2, in Atlanta, the 2022 edition of the award ceremony is the 15th edition and the first ever to be held outside the shore of Nigeria.

Speaking at a reception hosted by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria ahead of the Thursday event, Ms Leonard applauded growing ties between the two countries’ creative industry.

“This year’s Headies awards will highlight the growing U.S.-Nigeria ties and the vast potential of Nigerian musicians as cultural exporters to the African continent and beyond,” the ambassador said.

She said cultural interaction advances the US-Nigeria strategic alliance by building lasting ties between the artists and highlighting the strong creative communities in both countries.

On his part, acting U.S. Consul General, Brandon Hudspeth, stated that cultural and creative exchanges are one of the ways the U.S. government collaborates with Nigeria.

He emphasised that the mission will continue to look for novel ways to foster meaningful people-to-people connections between the two countries.

Ayo Animashaun, the Executive Producer of the Headies Music Awards, also spoke at the event, noting that this is the first year the Headies will be held outside of Nigeria.