| MTV Africa Music Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current: MTV Africa Music Awards 2021 | |
| Awarded for | Music and pop culture |
| Country | Countries of Africa |
| Presented by | MTV |
| First awarded | 2008 |
The MTV Africa Music Awards (also known as the MAMAs) were established in 2008 by MTV Networks Africa (now Viacom International Media Networks Africa) to celebrate the most popular contemporary music in Africa. The 2008 and 2010 events took place in Nigeria, first in Abuja and then in Lagos. The 2009 event happened in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya each of the premiere awards were created and executive produced by Alex Okosi and Jandre Louw.
After these three initial events, the show had a three-year hiatus, returning for the 2014 and 2015 editions in Durban, South Africa. The 2016 show was in Johannesburg. [1] The 2021 event was due to be held in Kampala before it was indefinitely postponed. [2] [3]
The MTV Africa Music Awards was conceived and created by the SVP and MD of the MTV Networks in Africa, Alex Okosi alongside the Head of Events of MTV Networks Africa at the time Jandre Louw and Head of Production Dudu Qubu. Earlier, African artists had been included in the MTV Europe Music Award where MTV Base Africa viewers voted for Best African artist in the 2006 and 2007 [4] MTV Europe Music Awards.
The first awards show was held at the Velodrome, Abuja in Nigeria on 22 November 2008 and was broadcast around the world on 29 November in conjunction with Airtel and local television channels in Africa. [5] The show was hosted by Trevor Nelson. [6] The awards were preceded by four concerts celebrating the musicians nominated for the awards. There were concerts featuring international and local nominees, which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa on 5 November, Nairobi, Kenya on 9 November, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 13 November and Lagos, Nigeria on 15 November 2008. [7] The Award categories included Artist of the Year, Best Alternative, Best Female, Best Group, Best Hip-Hop, Best Live Performance, Best Male, Best New Act, Best R&B, Video of the Year and the MY Video Award which allows viewers to make their own version of a music video.
The 2009 event took place in Nairobi, Kenya at the Moi International Sports Centre in October 2009. [8] In 2010, the awards were again held in Nigeria, at Eko Expo Hall in Lagos. This year, some award categories were to better reflect the music of the entire continent, hence creating awards for Best Anglophone, Best Lusophone and Best Francophone artists.
After a 3-year hiatus (2011, 2012 and 2013), Viacom International Media Networks Africa announced that the MTV Africa Music Awards would return on 7 June 2014. The fifth event took place at the ICC, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on 18 July 2015, and on 23 August 2016 it was announced that the sixth edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards would take place in Johannesburg, South Africa on 22 October 2016 at the Ticketpro Dome. [9]
In 2017 the popular award didn't hold again. Alex Okosi, Executive Vice President of Viacom International Media Network Africa said the company is working to reinvent the MAMA to create a deeper music experience for the 2018 edition of the award. [1]
| Year | Country | Host city | Venue | Host(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nigeria | Abuja | Velodrome | Trevor Nelson |
| 2009 | Kenya | Nairobi | Moi International Sports Centre | Wyclef Jean |
| 2010 | Nigeria | Lagos | Eko Expo Hall | Eve |
| 2014 | South Africa | Durban | ICC Durban Arena | Marlon Wayans |
| 2015 | South Africa | Durban | ICC Durban Arena | Anthony Anderson |
| 2016 | South Africa | Johannesburg | Ticketpro Dome | Bonang Matheba, Yemi Alade and Nomzamo Mbatha |
| 2021 | Uganda | Kampala | DJ Khaled |
The MTV Africa Awards 2021 was postponed.
P-Square are a Nigerian music duo composed of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye, who co-write and co-produce most of their songs. Noted for their artistic reinvention, musical versatility, and visual presentation, they are widely regarded as one of the most influential African acts of all time and one of the most successful music groups from Africa. They were integral to the evolution of the 2000s and 2010s African popular music. The duo was launched into the mainstream recognition following the release of the song “Senorita” in 2003, and later gain recognition after releasing their sophomore album Get Squared in 2005. The success of the album earned them a nomination at the MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act in 2006. A prominent figure in the Africa popular culture of the 21st Century, P-Square was awarded Artistes of the Decade at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2015.
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