In case you missed out on Saturday’s highly anticipated night of glitz and glam, 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards held at Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg.
It was a big night for Nigerian musicians as Wizkid walked away with three major awards namely: Artist of the Year, Best Male and Best Collaboration, while co-host, Nigeria’s Yemi Alade took home Best Female, while Tekno was named Best Breakthrough Act.
Future delivered a great performance of ‘Low Life’ and ‘F*ck Up Some Commas’ at the 2016 MAMAs.
Future, the current ‘King of Trap’ performed his hit songs, including ‘Wicked’, ‘Low life’, and ‘F*ck Up Some Commas’ at TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa.
South Africa also fared quite well as Cassper Nyovest picked up Best Live Act, while Emtee was deemed Best Hip Hop and Caster Semenya got the 2016 Person of the Year as Hugh Masekela was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kenya didn’t disappoint either, as Sauti Sol got the award for Best Group.
Again, Patoranking featuring Nigeria’s Wande Coal got the Song of the Year in partnership with Google with “My Woman, My Everything”.
Patoranking’s real name, Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, the singer’s ‘My Woman’ which was released on his “God Over Everything” album.
The Video of the Year went to “Niquer Ma Vie” – Youssoupha (Congo), directed by Antony Abdelli & Jose Eon, while the Best Pop & Alternative went to Shekinah & Kyle Deutsch (South Africa) as the Best Francophone went to Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast).
Yemi Alade at MTV MAMA 2016
The Best Lusophone was C4 Pedro (Angola); the Personality of the Year in association with DSTV was Caster Semenya (South Africa) and the Legend Award went to Hugh Masekela.
Yemi Alade performs with Sauti Sol
The Best Collaboration in partnership with ABSOLUT: DJ Maphorisa feat. Wizkid & DJ Buckz – “Soweto Baby” (South Africa/Nigeria), while Africa Reimagined was Vivian Onano and Mary Taedzerwa, as the Best International was Drake (U.S.A.).
It was a night of music and celebration as Soweto Gospel Choir gave a hearty rendition of Korede Bello’s ‘Godwin’ at the opening, while Kwesta turned up the heat with his hit single as Stonebwoy brought some reggae flavour to the show.
Comedian AY decided to give Minnie Dlamini a quick performance before announcing the winner of the ‘Best Live Act’, Cassper Nyovest as Patoranking, dressed in a Jamaican inspired outfit took to the stage to perform ‘My woman, my everything’.
Fashion designer Sheba announced the Best Female in Africa as Yemi Alade, and Alade, who won for a second year in a row, performed with her ‘Azonto’ freestyle, backed by drummers and dancers.
YCee
Also, Nigeria’s Falz performed ‘Soft work’, while Ycee performed ‘Jagaban’.
The MTV Africa Music Awards, also known as the MAMAs, was established in 2008 by MTV Networks Africa, now Viacom International Media Networks Africa, to celebrate the most popular contemporary music in Africa.
The Award was conceived and created by the SVP and MD of the MTV Networks in Africa, Alex Okosi.
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[1] MTV Europe Music Awards.
The first awards show was held at the Velodrome in Abuja, Nigeria on Nov. 22, 2008 and was broadcast around the world on Nov. 29 in conjunction with Airtel and local television channels in Africa.
The Listener’s Choice Award had the biggest number of nominees, 21 in total, including, Adiouza (Senegal), Bebe Cool (Uganda), Burna Boy (Nigeria), Den G (Liberia), EL (Ghana) and eventual winner Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe).
Falz
Others included Jay Rox (Zambia), Kansoul (Kenya), Kiss Daniel (Nigeria), Lij Michael (Ethiopia), LXG (Sierra Leone), Messias Marioca (Mozambique), Prince Kaybee (South Africa, Reda Taliani (Algeria) and Yamoto Band from Tanzania, among others.
Several Rwandans, including artistes, had led a campaign on different social media platforms to ensure that the U.S-based Rwanda RnB singer, real name Medard Ngabo, wins the prestigious accolade but it was never to be.
The Ntawamusimbura singer is the first Rwandan musician to be nominated for the annual prestigious continental awards.
During a colourful ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nigeria’s Wizkid won big, scooping the Artiste of the Year, Male Artiste of the Year, and Best collaboration with DJ Maphorisa ft Wizkid& DJ Bucks.
Kenya’s Sauti Sol won Best Group award but generally the East African region performed poorly.
The likes of Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania), Eddy Kenzo (Uganda), Ali Kiba (Tanzania), Vanessa Mdee (Tanzania) and Bebe Cool (Uganda) did not manage to win on the night with Nigerian artistes dominating.
Nigeria’s Yemi Alade won the Best Female Artiste award for the second time in a row, edging compatriot Tiwa Savage, Tanzania’s Vanessa Mdee and Ghana’s MzVee, among others.
List of winners:
BEST FEMALE: Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
BEST MALE: Wizkid (Nigeria)
BEST GROUP: Sauti Sol (Kenya)
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ACT: Tekno (Nigeria)
BEST LIVE ACT: Cassper Nyovest (South Africa)
BEST FRANCOPHONE: Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
BEST LUSOPHONE: C4 Pedro (Angola)
BEST POP / ALTERNATIVE: Shekinah & Kyle Deutsch (South Africa)
BEST HIP HOP in association with MTN: Emtee (South Africa)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: Drake (USA)
LEGEND AWARD: Hugh Masekela
BEST COLLABORATION in partnership with ABSOLUT: DJ Maphorisa ft Wizkid & DJ Buckz (SA/NG)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Youssoupha (Congo) – “Niquer Ma Vie”
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR in association with DStv: Caster Semenya (South Africa)
AFRICA RE-IMAGINED AWARD: Vivian Onano & Mary Taedzerwa
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Wizkid (Nigeria)
SONG OF THE YEAR in partnership with Google: Patoranking ft. Wande Coal – “My Woman, My Everything (Nigeria)
LISTENER’S CHOICE AWARD: Jah Prayzah
