MTV Africa Music Awards returns to Nigeria

Nigeria has shown its growing muscle in African entertainment yet again as the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) returns to Nigeria for the third edition. It was announced this week that this year’s award ceremony would be held at the EKO Expo Hall in Lagos, on December 11. This would be the second time in three years that the awards have taken place in Nigeria, following the inaugural MAMAs, which was held in Abuja in October 2008.

Nominees will be revealed at end of October. The Johannesburg-based MTV Networks Africa also announced a partnership with Bharti Airtel, a global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa based in Gurgaon, India.

Andre Beyers, chief marketing officer, Airtel Africa said his company’s support for this year’s awards was founded on “our commitment to empower the youth through initiatives that will help Africa to identify and celebrate talent.”

In announcing the sponsorship deal, Beyers and Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and managing director, MTV Networks Africa, said exclusive MAMAs-specific mobile and data content (including downloads) would be made available for the Airtel subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel is open to all soloists or groups who have received airplay on MTV base or MTV during the qualifying period (30 June 2009 to 31 August 2010) including artists from: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comores, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Voting will then be open to the public via a mobile-site (mtvmama.mobi) and a website (www.mama.mtvbase.com).

The 2010 MAMAs will take the form of a stunning live music event and global television spectacular, featuring performances from contemporary African and international music giants and hosted by a major music celebrity. Artists from around the continent will battle to win a coveted MAMA trophy in one of twelve award categories including: Best Male, Best Female, Best Video, Best Group, Artist of the Year, Best Lusophone Act, Best Anglophone Act, Best Francophone Act, Song of the Year, Brand: New Act, Best International Act and MAMA Legend.