6th September, 2013
As Channel O celebrates a decade of recognising the best African contemporary music talents, Nigerian artistes have notched 20 nominations in this year’s edition of the Channel O Africa Music Video Awards, CHOAMVA.
Nigerian artistes received the CHOAMVA nominations across the relevant categories including four of the six nominations in the Most Gifted African West Video category and another four in the coveted Most Gifted Video of the Year category.
Altogether there are nominees in the 14 categories which include multiple double nods for over 10 artistes from East, West and Southern African.
The category again reveals the mix of newcomers and established artistes at this year’s event – a signal of the growing maturity of Africa’s music scene.
And as part of the celebrations, Channel O has expanded the prestigious Most Gifted Video of the Year category to 12 nominees, increasing the pressure on nominees in the most fiercely fought category at the awards.
In this category are Nigeria’s P-Square (Alingo), Ice Prince (Aboki) and Wizkid (Azonto) which prove their ongoing popularity with the nomination.
They will be in the race to claim Africa’s most prestigious music awards’ top prize alongside Mafikizolo (Khona), Zeus ft AKA & Tumi (Dats Wasup), STL (Stella Stella Stella), Xtatic/AKA & Priddy Ugly (Hit ‘Em Up), AKA (Jealousy), Reason (Do It Like I Can), Fuse ODG ft Wyclef Jean (Antenna), R2Bees (Life Walaahi), and Paul G ft Fabulous (Get Control).
The list of nominees is also bursting with new faces, including the five contenders in the Most Gifted Newcomer category –Nigeria’s Burna Boy (Tonight) and Lola Rae (Watch My Ting Go); South Africa’s Moneoa (Is Bhanxa) and Khaya Mthethwa (Move), and Chocolate City’s Kenya’s Victoria Kimani (Mtoto).
2Face Idibia (Ihe Neme) and Davido (Gobe) are in the race for Most Gifted Afro Pop Video with three other African artistes, while Tiwa Savage featuring Don Jazzy (Without My Heart) will slug it out with four other divas across the continent for the Most Gifted Female Video prize.
Also on the nomination list for different categories are Banky W (Yes/No), KCee (Limpopo), D’Prince (Good Bag), Iyanya (Flavour), Jesse Jagz (Murder Dem), and Chidinma/Ill bliss/Tha Suspect (Emi Ni Baller).
Analysts said the multiplicity of genres emerging in this highlight category of the 10th Annual CHOAMVA – from Dance Pop to Contemporary Afrobeat and Afro-fusion – provides a brilliant glimpse into the diversity of sounds that currently define Africa’s music scene.
The best of the continent will be unveiled when the CHOAMVA Live event takes place on Saturday, 30 November at Walter Sisulu Square, in Kliptown, Soweto, South Africa.
–Funsho Arogundade