Apple Music is getting into the giving spirit this holiday season with the launch of From Apple Music With Love, a special countdown to the holidays. Each day at 8:00a PST from November 26 – December 3, Apple Music subscribers will receive exclusive gifts from some of the biggest and brightest names in music, stamped with love and ready for unwrapping. Gifts range from exclusive EPs in Spatial Audio, to a behind-the scenes documentary films, to special holiday playlists, radio episodes, DJ mixes, and beyond.

Today’s exclusive gift comes from musical icon Nile Rodgers. If you’re having trouble getting to sleep lately (you’re not alone), then we have the perfect nighttime remedy: a quiet, soothing bedtime Story for Sleep: A Peaceful Winter Night, narrated by the silky-voiced legend himself. Snuggle up with the comforting sounds of winter: gentle breezes, crackling fires, and Nile’s own narration, all rendered in immersive Spatial Audio that wraps around you like a warm blanket.

Tune in every day at 8am PST to keep counting down the holidays with an exclusive gift every day on Apple Music HERE.

First seasons of the new Gossip Girl, Dr. Death S1, Insecure S5, In Treatment S4 starring Uzo Aduba, Scenes From A Marriage, new season What We Do In The Shadows and more

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS S3 | Binge now, first on Showmax

Based on the 2014 cult movie from the batty brains of nine-time Emmy nominee Jemaine Clement (Flight Of The Conchords) and Oscar winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), the fiendishly funny vampire mock-doc What We Do in the Shadows is back, with a threat of retribution and a whole new job description for Staten Island’s oldest and most inept housemates!

Season 3 has a 100% critics’ rating and is #10 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Best TV of 2021 So Far, where the critics’ consensus says, “Carried on the wings of its cast’s incredible chemistry and the strongest writing of the series so far, What We Do in the Shadows‘ third season is scary good.”

Already nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, WWDITS added to its accolades earlier this year with awards for Best Series at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series (for Natasia Demetriou as Nadja) at the Critics’ Choice Super Awards. At the 2021 Critics’ Choice Awards, BAFTA winner Matt Berry (The IT Crowd, Toast of London) – who plays Laszlo – was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, while Mark Proksch (The Office, Better Call Saul) and Harvey Guillén (The Magicians) were both up for Best Supporting Actor as energy vampire Colin Robinson and the not-so-harmless Guillermo respectively.

What We Do in the Shadows has also already been renewed for Season 4. The New York Times calls the series “genuinely ha-ha funny,” adding, “If you are feeling a bit frayed right now and want something brilliant and silly, a true pleasure, watch this.”

GOSSIP GIRL | Binge the first 10 episodes from 3 December, first on Showmax, with episodes 11-12 due 10 December 2021, express from the U.S

Based on the bestselling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, the original 2007 Gossip Girl won 18 Teen Choice Awards and launched the careers of the likes of Penn Badgley (You) and Blake Lively (The Town).

Now this extension of the pop culture classic takes us back to the Upper East Side, finding a new generation of New York private school teens being introduced to social surveillance nine years after the original blogger’s website went dark.

Gossip Girl, which explores just how much social media – and the landscape of New York itself — has changed in the intervening years, saw record viewership over its first weekend on HBO Max in July 2021, trending at #1 on Twitter and generating over 15 billion total social impressions at launch.

Amid all the gorgeous fresh faces, some of the key elements that made the original Gossip Girl such a hit will stay the same – People’s Choice Award winner Kristen Bell (The Good Place, Veronica Mars and the voice of Frozen’s Anna) returns to voice the anonymous blogger and “Gossip Girl”, and the show will be helmed by the original executive producer team of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The O.C.) and Joshua Safran (Quantico), who developed the new series and serves as showrunner.

Also catch all 122 episodes of the original Gossip Girl series from 1 December, for a limited time only until 31 March 2022.

SUCCESSION S3 | Binge episodes 1-7 now, with new episodes every Monday until 13 December 2021

Succession, winner of Best Drama at both the Emmys and Golden Globes in 2020, follows four very rich siblings behaving very badly while trying to win their father’s approval – and control of his company, a global media and entertainment empire.

Jeremy Strong won the 2020 Best Actor Emmy as Kendall Roy, while Brian Cox won the 2020 Best Actor Golden Globe as his father, Logan. Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin, as Kendall’s siblings, and Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun and James Cromwell, as his extended family, also earned Emmy nominations.

In Season 3, that already impressive cast is adding Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Pianist) and Emmy winner Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, True Blood), not to mention Black Reel winner Sanaa Lathan (The Affair, Love & Basketball), Emmy nominee Hope Davis (Your Honor, Captain America: Civil War) and singer Jihae (Mortal Engines).

Ambushed by Kendall at the end of Season 2, Logan begins Season 3 in a perilous position, scrambling to secure familial, political, and financial alliances. Tensions rise as a bitter corporate battle threatens to turn into a family civil war.

HBO has just renewed Succession for a fourth season, after the Season 3 premiere drew over 1.4 million viewers across all platforms, marking a series high and the best premiere night of any HBO Original series since the launch of HBO Max. Season 3 has a 96% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with IndieWirecalling the series “television’s best show, a singular TV experience.”

SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE S1 | Binge now

A remake of the iconic 1973 Swedish miniseries by legendary Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, the HBO drama Scenes From a Marriage stars Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Help, Interstellar) and Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac  (Inside Llewyn Davis, Star Wars’ Poe Dameron) in an intimate examination of love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce, as seen through the eyes of a contemporary American couple.

Written and directed by Golden Globe-winning series creator Hagai Levi (In Treatment, The Affair), the five-episode miniseries holds an 81% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with TV Guide calling it, “an acting tour de force… impossible to look away from even when it’s almost too difficult to watch.”

With a cast that includes Black Reel nominee Nicole Beharie (Miss Juneteenth), Golden Globe nominee Corey Stoll (House of Cards), and Screen Actors Guild nominee Sunita Mani (Mr. Robot, GLOW), Scenes From a Marriage is already listed among the 2022 Limited Series award contenders by the Emmy predictors over at Variety.

INSECURE S5 | Binge from 29 December 2021

All good things come to an end, even Issa Rae’s landmark, Emmy-winning comedy, Insecure.

As you should know by now, Insecure centres on friends Issa and Molly (Nigeria’s Yvonne Orji) in what the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus hails as “an insightful, raunchy, and hilarious journey through the life of a twentysomething black woman that cuts through stereotypes with sharp wit and an effusive spirit.”

As the Peabody Awards put it, “Rae delivers a groundbreaking series that captures the lives of everyday young black people in Los Angeles with a fresh and authentic take. Breaking away from tired and familiar representations of ‘diversity’ on television, this series offers a fun and intimate portrayal of work, relationships, and the ordinary experiences of the two young black women at its center.”

Season 5 currently has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the show’s 2021 accolades include Image Awards wins for Best Comedy and Best Actress (Rae), not to mention Critics’ Choice and MTV nominations for Best Actress and a Satellite Awards nomination for Best TV Series.

Showmax is also releasing Insecure: The Final Season documentary on 4 January 2022.

1. DEATH S1 | Binge from 1 January 2022

Based on a terrifying true story, Dr. Death stars Teen Choice winner Joshua Jackson (Little Fires Everywhere, The Affair, Dawson’s Creek) as ostensibly brilliant young neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch. After several of Duntsch’s procedures end with patients maimed or dead, two fellow physicians and a Dallas prosecutor set out to stop him… and discover a system rigged to fail the most vulnerable among us.

The phenomenal cast includes Oscar nominee Alec Baldwin (Mission: Impossible – Fallout, BlacKkKlansman, Glengarry Glen Ross); Golden Globe winner Christian Slater (Mr. Robot, True Romance, The Wife); Critics’ Choice nominee AnnaSophia Robb (Words on Bathroom Walls, The Act); Meryl Streep’s daughter, Grace Gummer (Mr. Robot, The Hot Zone, American Horror Story); and five-time Emmy winner Kelsey Grammer (Frasier).

Based on Wondery’s hit podcast of the same name, which has over 50 million listeners to date, the eight-episode limited series has a 91% critics’ rating onRotten Tomatoes, with AV Club saying, “This adaptation manages to improve on its source material, perhaps because the story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch is so monstrous, it must be seen to be believed.”

Also look out for the four-episode true crime docuseries, Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story, from 1 January 2022.

CHUCKY S1 | Binge now, first on Showmax

A vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, throwing an idyllic American town into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begins to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets in Chucky, which picks up after the events of the seventh film in the horror franchise, Cult of Chucky.

Created by Fangoria Chainsaw Award nominee Don Mancini (Bride of Chucky, Child’s Play), the series stars Oscar nominee Brad Dourif (The Lord of the Rings’ Wormtongue and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’s Billy Bibbit) as the voice of serial-killer-possessed Good Guy doll Chucky, with child actor Zackary Arthur (Transparent) as Jake Wheeler.

Oscar nominee Jennifer Tilly (Bullets over Broadway, Bound) returns as Tiffany Valentine, and Saturn Award nominee Alex Vincent (Child’s Play) reprises his role as Chucky’s archnemesis, Andy Barclay, with Christine Elise (BH90210) returning as Andy’s foster sister, Kyle. Also look out for Dourif’s daughter and genre marvel Fiona Dourif (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The Stand, The Blacklist, The Purge) returning as Nica Pierce.

Chucky has a 96% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus calls it “a bloody good time.”

IN TREATMENT S4 | Binge from 1 January 2022

Season 4 of In Treatment stars Emmy winner Uzo Aduba (Mrs. America, Orange Is The New Black) as the observant, empathetic therapist Dr. Brooke Taylor, who takes over from Gabriel Byrne’s Doctor Paul Weston.

She was up for the 2021 Best Actress Emmy, while the Season 4 reboot has a 96% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it’s #32 on their Best TV Shows of 2021 list. As Variety says, Aduba is “proving to be one of the essential actors of the 21st century.”

The season’s cast includes Hamilton star and Emmy nominee Anthony Ramos; Emmy nominee John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C, The Good Wife); Charlayne Woodard (Pose, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit); and Saturn Award nominee Joel Kinnaman (House of Cards, The Killing), among others.

NEW AMSTERDAM S3 | Binge now

When Dr Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold from The Blacklist) took over New Amsterdam, he asked a simple, revolutionary question: “How can I help?”

In Season 3, Max and his team face the daunting task of sustaining that optimism while dealing with a pandemic that exposed the gaping inequities in healthcare. Max is no longer content to fix a broken system. He’s determined to tear it down and build something better.

New Amsterdam has an 8.1/10 rating on IMDb. As Bustle says, “Every Grey’s Anatomy fan needs to watch this.”

BILLIONS S5 | Binge episodes 1-7 now, with the last 5 episodes due 21 December 2021

Bobby Axelrod and Chuck Rhoades have been unscrupulous adversaries and underhanded allies, but nothing has prepared them for the ruthless machinations of billionaire Mike Prince, who’ll use everything – and everyone – at his disposal to come out on top. As alliances get ripped apart and new enemies rise, everyone gets roped into the conflict. Consequences be damned.

Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis (Homeland), Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (Sideways), and Golden Globe nominee Corey Stoll (House of Cards) co-star as Bobby, Chuck and Mike respectively.

Season 5 has a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus says, “The machinations of the rich and infamous continue to enthrall inBillions’ fifth season, with Corey Stoll proving a worthy addition to this arena of financial chicanery.”

WHY WOMEN KILL S2 | Binge from 1 January 2022

The delicious (but deadly) new season of the drama anthology series Why Women Kill is here is at last. Created by Emmy nominee Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids), the series has an 8.3/10 score on IMDb, with an 83% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes for Season 2.

Emmy nominee Allison Tolman (Fargo, Good Girls) headlines this season as Alma Fillcot, a frumpy 1940s housewife desperate to join an exclusive local garden club, presided over by Rita Castillo (Teen Choice Award winner Lana Parrilla from 24, Once Upon a Time). Veronica Falcón (Ozark, Perry Mason), MTV Movie Award nominee Nick Frost (Fighting with My Family, Shaun of the Dead) and Teen Choice Award winner Matthew Daddario (whose older sister Alexandra played Jade last season) co-star.

Even more star-studded is the line-up of directors this season: Desperate Housewives’ Emmy-nominated director-producer, Larry Shaw; Housewives star, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Eva Longoria; Growing Pains star and Emmy-nominated director, Joanna Kerns; BAFTA nominee Jennifer Getzinger (Mad Men, Westworld, How to Get Away with Murder); and Emmy winner Melanie Mayron (Jane the Virgin, Pretty Little Liars, Thirtysomething).

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST S2 | Binge now

Jane Levy (Suburgatory, Castle Rock) was nominated for the 2021 Best Actress Golden Globe as Zoey, a young woman who suddenly gains the ability to hear other people’s innermost thoughts … in song.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist won a 2020 Emmy for its Outstanding Choreography and was nominated for another five Emmys this year. The quirky musical comedy has an 8.1/10 score on IMDb, while Season 2 has an 83% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider calling it “the TV series of the year”, ET Online the “antidote to your quarantine blues”, and US Weekly “pure joy”.

Season 2 sees Critics’ Choice nominee Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) join the already impressive cast, which includes Alex Newell (Glee), who was nominated for a 2021 Critics’ Choice Best Supporting Actor award as Zoey’s friend Mo.

THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY | Binge now, first on Showmax

From Oscar- and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, The Inventor), The Crime of the Century is a searing indictment of big pharma and the political operatives and government regulations that enable over-production, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.

With the help of whistleblowers, newly leaked documents, exclusive interviews, sobering testimony from victims of opioid addiction, and access to behind-the-scenes investigations, Gibney’s exposé posits that drug companies are in fact largely responsible for manufacturing the very crisis they profit from, to the tune of billions of dollars – and thousands of lives.

Produced in association with The Washington Post, The Crime of the Century won Best Political Documentary at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, where it was also up for Best Documentary Feature and Best Narration for Gibney. The two-part HBO documentary has a 95% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with FilmWeek saying, “Only Alex Gibney can get his arms around the behemoth that is the opioid crisis in America… It will open your eyes and make you angry.”

CALL ME KAT S1 | Binge now

Nominated for a 2021 Emmy for its cinematography, Call Me Kat stars Emmy nominee Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory) as a woman who struggles every day against society and her mother (Emmy winner Swoosie Kurtz from Huff and Pushing Daisies) to prove that she can live a happy and fulfilling life despite still being single at 39… Which is why she recently spent her entire savings to open a cat café in Louisville, Kentucky.

Call Me Kat is based on the BAFTA-nominated hit British sitcom Miranda, by multiple BAFTA nominee and British Comedy Award winner Miranda Hart (Call the Midwife), who executive produces alongside Bialik and series creator Darlene Hunt (The Big C, Dickinson).

Bialik’s co-stars include Emmy winner Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace, The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and Emmy nominee Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock,Glee, American Horror Story).

EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX IN DECEMBER 2021

To see everything on Showmax in December 2021, including the first Showmax Original romance, Troukoors; the 2021 Golden Globe nominee The Personal History of David Copperfield; and the Guy Ritchie-Jason Statham action blockbuster Wrath of Man,click here. Please note this release schedule is subject to change.

Akwaaba Magic has once again proven itself as the leading local television channel in Ghana. Since its launch, it has delivered premium content that has kept viewers glued to their screens 24/7/365. Just when we thought that the channel could not surpass itself, we learned that it is set to launch yet another riveting investigative drama series titled Inspector Bediako, this December.

According to Kennedy Dankyi-Appah, Channel Head for Akwaaba Magic “the 1990’s Ghanaian detective drama series remained one of the most loved TV series ever produced in Ghana and that since the end of its production, calls continued to pour in for its continuation, thus, creating a fertile ground for the remake”. “Our mandate as a channel is to continue to find content that resonates with the audience,” Kennedy Dankyi-Appah added.

“The riveting dramatic serving recounts the journey of Isaac Kwame Bediako (also referred to as Ike on the show) stepping into his father’s (the highly reputable and prominent Inspector Bediako Snr.)  shoes. Under the watchful eyes of his father, superiors and envious colleagues, Isaac must match up or live to regret ever stepping forward to join the profession his father revered in,” said Dankyi-Appah. “Viewers can expect to witness a whirlwind of themes centered around heroism, patriotism, love, secrets, as well as greed and betrayal that most viewers can relate to,” he concluded.

The channel expressed its excitement with working alongside major players within the content curation space, like Ivan Quashigah; a multi-talented filmmaker with a vast amount of experience in the industry. Quashigah has produced and directed award winning shows which include Things we do for Love, YOLO and To Have and To Hold.

Viewers are also set to be spoiled with a good mix of well-known stars, like: Oscar Provencal (Inspector Bediako Snr.), Anthony Woode (Isaac Kwame Bediako Jnr.), Brian Angels (Adjetey aka Blade), Darlyn Adu-Gyamfi (Oye Otoo), Naa Dedei Botchwey (Ike’s love interest), Vincent McCauley (Gandlaf Morpkorpkor also known as Mo K on the show), a computer genius who aids Isaac and his team to bring criminals to the book, and Richard Kweku Asante a.k.a. Kalybos (Nasiru) the forensic scientist.

About the series

It follows the life of Inspector Bediako Jnr, the son of the legendary Inspector Bediako Snr who used smart and creative detective means to investigate and solve domestic criminal cases, ranging from kidnapping, corruption, murder, and robberies to protect the public from danger. The show is a sequel to the hit 90’s hit series of the same title.

Set your reminders for the 6th of December at 8.30pm for the launch of this series and every Monday thereafter, to follow this story on Akwaaba Magic DStv Ch 150 and GOtv Supa Ch 101. You also get to witness the drama as secrets are revealed and manipulation is ensued in attempt to get to the top in Inspector Bediako.

The Soul Train Awards hosted its annual celebration in the historic Apollo Theater in New York and aired on BET Africa (DStv Channel 129, GOtv Channel 21) on Monday 29 November at 02:00 WAT / 03:00 CAT. Presented by BET, the award show featured performances by prominent stars in R&B and gospel.

African stars, Wizkid and Tems scored a win at the Soul Train Awards in the ‘Best Collaboration’ category for hit song Essence. WizKid and Tems were the third highest nominees with five nominations each, in iconic categories such as ‘Song of the year’, ‘Album of the year’, ‘Video of the year’, ‘Best R&B Artist’, ‘Best Collaboration’.

Hosted by Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell, the award show aims to celebrate the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment.

The 2021 edition of the awards show featured performances by Silk Sonic’s Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, Ari Lennox, Lucky Daye, Fred Hammond, Tone Stitch, Musiq Soulchild, Ashanti, Leon Bridges, ELHAE, Summer Walker and Maxwell.

Singer Jazmine Sullivan notched two trophies by winning both Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and ‘Album of The Year’ forHeaux Tales. Normani won her first award for ‘Best Dance Performance’ and honoured other female artists in her speech. Later, Ashanti was decorated with the ‘Lady of Soul Award’ before performing onstage with Ja Rule and Fat Joe. Maxwell emotionally accepted the ‘Living Legend Award’ and thanked Don Cornelius and the R&B community during his acceptance speech.

You can catch repeats of the Soul Train Awards on BET Africa (DStv Channel 129, GOtv Channel 21) on Saturday, 4 December 2021 at 19:00 WAT / 20:00 CAT; Sunday, 5 December 2021 at 09:00 WAT / 10:00 CAT; Wednesday, 8 December 2021 at 11:00 WAT / 12:00 CAT and Saturday, 11 December 2021 at 11:00 WAT / 12:00 CAT.

For more information on the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” visit www.betafrica.tv, like and chat to us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BETinAfrica, and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram @BET_Africa.

See the full list of winners highlighted by category below.

Best Collaboration 

Wizkid feat. Tems – “Essence”

Song of the Year 

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) – “Leave the Door Open”

Album of the Year 

Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales 

Video of the Year 

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) – “Leave the Door Open”

Best R&B/Soul Female Artist 

Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B/Soul Male Artist 

Giveon

Best New Artist 

Yung Bleu

Certified Soul Award 

Charlie Wilson

Best Dance Performance 

Normani Feat. Cardi B – “Wild Side”

Best Gospel/Inspirational Award 

Kirk Franklin

The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award 

“Leave the Door Open” – written by: Bruno Mars, Brandon Anderson, Dernst Emile II, Christopher Brody Brown (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic)

It’s official: Filming has begun for the second season of the hit Kenyan police procedural and legal drama Crime and Justice.

Crime and Justice, which is Kenya’s first Showmax Original and the first co-production with global broadcaster CANAL+ Group, follows detective duo Makena (Sarah Hassan, Famous, Just In Time) and Silas (Alfred Munyua, Nafsi, The First Grader) as they investigate one-ripped-from-the-headlines case per episode.

The first of its kind in Kenya, Crime and Justice Season 1 was praised by fans for addressing difficult topical issues in the country such as femicide and domestic abuse, terrorism and radicalisation, while also exposing the limits of the justice system in Kenya.

Recently, Crime and Justice was nominated for three Kalasha awards across all the TV Drama categories: Best TV Drama, Best Lead Actor (Munyua) and Best Lead Actress (Hassan).

KenyaBuzz hailed it as “the perfect Kenyan Original… intensely satisfying” while Quartz credited it with “keeping real-life crimes from being buried… reviving debate and discussion around controversies that might have otherwise faded from the news.”

Crime and Justice was also the most popular show among Showmax subscribers in Kenya when it premiered in February 2021, and remained in the top spot for nine weeks straight. The show was also the most watched content in Kenya for the first three months after its launch in terms of both unique users and profiles.

Hassan and Munyua will reprise their lead roles as detectives Makena and Silas respectively in the second season, which is coming to Showmax and CANAL+ Premiere in 2022. Also returning is Maqbul Mohammed (Makutano Junction) as DCI Boss Kebo, Paul Ogola (Kati Kati, Sense8) as the no-nonsense prosecutor Sokoro, Brian Ogola (Lusala, Poacher) as the resident pathologist Caleb, and Koome Kinoti as Makena’s troublesome teenager Yaro.

Crime and Justice is directed by Adam Neutzsky-Wulff (All The Little Things We Kill, You Are Here) and Kenyans Likarion Wainaina (Supa Modo, winner of over 50 international awards, including a Special Mention at Berlin), Tosh Gitonga (AFI Audience Award Breakthrough winner Nairobi Half Life) and Edwin Kamau (40 Sticks).

Speaking about the decision to renew the show for the second season, Timothy Okwaro, MultiChoice Channel Director, East and Southern Africa said, “Crime and Justice was a major milestone, not only as Kenya’s first Showmax Original but also as a representation of the industry’s growth, evidenced by the production quality and positive feedback from our audiences. Fans have been calling for a second season since its debut, so it’s only right to give our viewers what they want.”

He added, “Season 2 promises more compelling crime stories, deep dives into Makena’s mysterious background and also answers whether Silas is still conflicted about what his moral decisions mean for his shifty networks.”

Fabrice Faux, Chief Content Officer of CANAL+ INTERNATIONAL, said, “We are very pleased to offer our subscribers a second season of Crime and Justice, our first African police and procedural TV series under the CANAL+ Original label. We are also very proud to partner again with Showmax to produce together the best premium series for the continent.”

Crime and Justice Season 2 adds to Showmax’s impressive slate of over 150 Kenyan titles – the most extensive for any streamer in the country. Showmax also recently announced Baba Twins, its first Original movie in Kenya, and the second original title after Crime and Justice.

Showmax also continues to expand its investment across Africa with a diverse slate that includes the recent launch of Ghana Jollof, its first original comedy series in West Africa; the upcoming Showmax Original reality series The Real Housewives of Lagos, the first Nigerian instalment of the global hit franchise The Real Housewives; its first original telenovela The Wife, inspired by Dudu Busani-Dube’s bestselling novel Hlomu the Wife; and the epic fantasy series Blood Psalms set in ancient Africa, another co-production with CANAL+, with much more coming up in 2022.

Since 2018, CANAL+ has produced 10 CANAL+ Original TV series in different African countries with African talents, such as Invisibles, Agent, Cacao, Dead Places, and Mami Wata Le Mystere D’Iveza. CANAL+ now looks to expand its production of Originals in Africa to gradually increase to ten series per year.

Crime and Justice Season 2 will premiere on Showmax and CANAL+ Premiere in 2022.

Watch Crime and Justice Season 1 on Showmax at: https://www.showmax.com/eng/tvseries/mj8xgkzr-crime-and-justice

Celebrating 50 years of the iconic “Soul Train” legacy from the world-famous Apollo, the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” is coming to Africa Monday, November 29 at 02:00 WAT/ 03:00 CAT exclusively on BET Africa, DSTV Channel 129

The 2021 ‘Soul Train Awards’ celebrating over 50 years of iconic soul music, is set to air on BET Africa (DStv Channel 129, GOtv Channel 21) on Monday, November 29 at 02:00 WAT / 03:00 CAT, with a repeat same day at 19:00 WAT / 20:00 CAT. In celebration of all that is Soul this year, an exciting lineup of artists are to feature in the Soul Cypher which will be aired at the awards. In addition to the star-studded lineup of performers, such as Summer Walker and Fred Hammond, BET also announced that the 2021 Soul Train Awards will have Jasmine Sullivan, Normani and casts of Sistas and The Game as presenters.

The cypher will explore predominant themes in Soul music, broken down into four pillars of Black Love, Black Power, Black Joy and Black Pride, with some of the biggest names in Black culture and entertainment who have embodied the poignant genre with great vocal embellishments and intense feelings.

Performing in groups of four and five, the artistes will give soulful renditions of freestyles and original songs that nod to and showcase the impact of soul from the 70s to date.

The Black Love theme will feature thrilling performances by Nigerian sweetheart, Ayra Starr; South African R&B Singer-Songwriter, Fila lah lah; Cameroonian Afro-pop/afrobeat artiste, Magasco; and Ghanaian musical artiste, Moliy.

Nigerian singer-songwriter, Mayorkun; Nigerian Queen of Afro-fusion, Goodgirl LA; Rwandan uber-talented artsite, Yvan Buravan; and Angolan heartthrob Rui Orlando will perform under the Black Pride theme.

Exploring the Black Joy theme will be Nigerian superstar, Buju; Ghanian afrobeat singer, Gyakie; South African musicologist, Manana; Cape Verde’s Soraia Ramos and Tanzanian bongo musician, Lava Lava.

Angola’s Gerlison Insrael; Nigerian lover boy, Johnny Drille; South African singer cum songwriter, Langa Mavuso and The Republic of Benin’s Ankaa will perform songs that nod to Black Power.

Commenting on the lineup of artistes, Monde Twala, SVP, General Manager ViacomCBS Networks Africa & Peer Lead at BET International said, “I am excited to witness the pure ingenious lines and performances that these artistes will drop on stage. Each of them has, in their own space, crafted beautiful music that has kept our souls moving to the rhythm. This is culture at its best. We are proud to bring the Soul Train to all our international audiences and lovers of soul music.”

The “Soul Train Awards” annual Soul Cypher is a tradition started by former show host Erykah Badu that features a group of artists freestyling. The cypher will bring together some of today’s top vocalists for what promises to be an electrifying performance. International participants in the cypher this year include D-Nice, Musiq Soulchild, Jac Ross, Koryn Hawthorne, Elle Varner, and Tone Stith. As a nod to the 20th Anniversary of her self-titled album Aaliyah, the late R&B great’s hit single “Rock the Boat” provides both theme and instrumental for the cypher.

BET announced that the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” will showcase an even bigger lineup of performances, special moments, and appearances, by some of the biggest stars in R&B, Gospel, Urban Adult Contemporary and Soul. On the heels of her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 Chart for her second studio LP, Still Over It, R&B singer-songwriter Summer Walker joins the exciting line-up of performers at this year’s Awards. Fred Hammond, and BET Amplified artists Elhae and Marzz will take the stage, along with Soul of Justice honorees Ciara and Russell Wilson and Marley Dias. Rap legends Fat Joe and Ja Rule as well as R&B icon El Debarge will make special appearances. Additionally, BET announced the second group of presenters who will take the stage: Jazmine Sullivan, Normani, Hosea Chanchez and Wendy Raquel Robinson from The Game, a Paramount+ Original series, Devale Ellis and Crystal Hayslett from the cast of Tyler Perry’s Sistas on BET.

Previously announced performers include the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” Legend Award honoree Maxwell, Lady of Soul honoree Ashanti, R&B super duo Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak of Silk Sonic, R&B/Soul songstress Ari Lennox, soul singer-songwriter and producer Leon Bridges, R&B singer Lucky Daye, and more.

Previously announced presenters include Mack Wilds, and Parker McKenna Posey, from BET series Games People Play and Paula Patton from BET+ Original series, Sacrifice.

H.E.R. leads the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” nominations with an impressive eight nods for ‘Best R&B/Soul Female Artist’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Album of the Year’, ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award (x2)’, ‘Best Collaboration (x2)’, and ‘Video of the Year’. Jazmine Sullivan and Chris Brown garnered the second most nods with six nominations each. Jazmine Sullivan’s nods include ‘Best R&B/Soul Female Artist’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Album of the Year’, ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award’, ‘Best Collaboration’, and ‘Video of the Year’. Chris Brown’s nods include ‘Best R&B/Soul Male Artist’, ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award’, ‘Best Dance Performance’, ‘Best Collaboration (x2)’, and ‘Video of the Year’. Wizkid and TEMS are the third highest with five nods each, followed by Blxst with four nods. Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, Doja Cat, and Yung Bleu each have three nods.

Three-time GRAMMY® award-winning singer-songwriter and producer Maxwell will receive the Legend award at the 2021 “Soul Train Awards”. Award-winning and multi-platinum singer/songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and author, Ashanti, will be the recipient of the Lady of Soul honour.

Dynamic best-friend duo Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold will return as co-hosts of the 2021 “Soul Train Awards,” bringing their irreplaceable energy and hilarious comedic talents to this year’s show.

The Soul Train Awards from the Apollo will air on Monday, 29 November on BET Africa (DStv Channel 129, GOtv Channel 21) at 02:00 WAT / 03:00 CAT with a repeat at 19:00 WAT / 20:00 CAT same day.

For more information on the 2021 “Soul Train Awards”, visit www.betafrica.tv, like and chat to us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BETinAfrica, and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram @BET_Africa.