CHOAMVA: How Nigeria won just four awards

 The Channel O Music Video Awards, in its 10th year, was held in Soweto, South Africa last weekend. Rich in concept, performance content, and armed with a credible list of winners, Saturday Beats gives you details of the show, which has come to be rated as one of the biggest music awards in Africa.

No Stamp, no entry

Each year, the organisers always ensure a watertight security at the award ceremony. This year was no exception. First, guests had to go through some few minutes’ accreditation process where they were given a plastic card and a paper ticket. Thereafter, they were driven to The Dome of Walter Sisulu Square, Kliptown venue of the event and they exchanged the tickets with their seat number and a stamp on the wrist which could only be viewed with a mercury torch. Before the show proper, guests were treated to a pre-evening cocktail, which also gave them the opportunity to exchange banter, back slap,  giggle as well as check out what other guests wore to the event.

No African time

Scheduled to start by 8pm, this was not the case of ‘African Time’ for just as the clocked chimed 8pm, the show commenced with an incredible entrance of the hosts, South Africa’s AKA and Nigeria’s Nateo C who came in from the roof dressed like bikers. From then on, there was really no boring moment as the hosts and the presenters gave an impeccable delivery. The two-hour event was not marred by myriad technical deficiencies, poor logistics or stuttering presenters.

Nigeria versus South Africa

Although some other artistes from different African countries performed at the show, it was majorly Nigerian and South African artistes that hit the massive stage of the dome. Interestingly, as most of the popular Nigerian artistes are rated high in Nigeria, that didn’t seem to be the case with the SA crowd. An average Nigerian would easily jump up at Kcee’s Limpopo but just as the singer was giving what could be described as a great performance, most of the guests gazed at him as if he just came down from space. And it was the same attitude that was given to Burna Boy, EME’s Victoria Kimani and to some extent, Wizkid. However, when the likes of Mafikizolo, Khuli Chana and some others climbed on the stage, it was an overwhelming, thunderous applause that greeted their performance as the guests danced and danced on. But then, one cannot take away the fact that the acts were good at their game and made sure their delivery was not below par.

Special recognition for P Square

Whoever said the twin brothers, P Square are no longer interested in receiving awards or attending award ceremonies may not have been telling the whole truth. The duo not only attended the award but also put up a superlative performance. As much as just a little appreciation was shown to the other Nigerian artistes that performed at the show, that could not be said when the twin brothers, P Square got on the stage. Their dexterity on the dance floor was second to none and their hit bangers, Personally and E no Easy got the guests going haywire.

It wasn’t a surprise that they were honoured with the special recognition award which great artistes such as   Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Hugh Masekela, Brenda Fassie, Oskido and D’Banj had also been honoured in the past editions.

The twins dedicated the award to their late mother and to their fans.

And the winners are…

Nigerian voters were obviously sleeping this year, unlike last year that Nigerian artistes dominated the awards.  This year was the opposite as just three awards came home to Nigeria. While the host country, South Africa, packed seven awards.

In the Most Gifted Ragga/dancehall category, talented Jesse jags lost to Kenyan hip hop group, P Unit who also went home with the Most Gifted African (East) video award.

However, fine boy Banky W picked the Most Gifted Rand B Music Video award while Kcee’s Limpopo lost the Most Gifted dance Video award to Mafikizolo’s Khona.

So many people would have thought Tuface’s Ihe ne Eme would have clinched the Most Gifted Afro Pop video awards but South Africa’s The Soil, went home with the plaque for the video, Linkomo.

Tiwa Savage’s Without My Heart could not get her the Most Gifted female video for South Africa’s Zonke went home with the award for her Feelings video.

Wizkid saves the day

When it was almost concluded that this edition was not the best for Nigerian artistes, then came the announcement for the biggest award – The Most Gifted Award- and our own Wizkid, for his videos Azonto, picked the award, while the likes of Ice Prince (Aboki), Mafikizolo (Khona), PSquare (Alingo), Xtatic, AKA & Priddy Ugly (Hit Em Up), Zeus Ft.AKA & Tumi (DatsWasup) and others lost out.