Zain Thumbs up MTV Africa Music Awards Nomination Process

Following the release of the nominees for the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMAs) in Lagos , Nigeria , the Nigerian telecom company has given the process leading to the selection of the winners thumps up.

Chief Marketing Officer, Zain Nigeria , Norman Moyo, said the quality of the music artistes especially the African stars in the MAMAs roll call is indicative of the painstaking and credible process of selecting the nominees.

Moyo explained that the telecom operator is clearly pleased with its decision to sponsor the awards, adding that the process will produce winners that music lovers across the continent and the rest of the world will be pleased with.

Zain and MTV Networks Africa yesterday announced the nominees for the first ever MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMAs).

The music stars were selected by an independent voting ‘academy’ of 150 music professionals and opinion leaders from 30 African countries.

Prominent on the nomination roll call are R&B duo P-Square who were contending for the Best Group, Best Live Performer, Best R&B, Best Video and Artist of the Year; Nigeria’s Hip Pop star, D’Banj (Best Male, Best Live Performer and Best Group), South African HHP (nominated for Best Male and Artist of the Year categories), Wahu (Kenya) and Nigeria’s Bukola Elemide popularly known as Asa (Nigeria) (Best Female, Artist of the Year).

Other nominees include Wahu (Best New Act, Best Female) and Nigerian stars Sasha, 9ice, and 2Face.

South Africa top the nomination list with 18 individual nominations, followed by Nigeria with 16 nominations, Kenya with three and Ghana with two nominees. Mozambique , Gabon , Tanzania and Uganda , Tanzania , Uganda , Gabon and Mozambique have one artist each on the roll call.

US, and European artists Akon, Rihanna and Alicia Keys were nominated for Best R&B, while rappers The Game and Lil Wayne will contend for honours in Best Hip Hop category.

British rockers Coldplay, Buraka Som Sistema of Portugal and South African Goldfish, The Parlotones and Seether, will go head in head in the Best Alternative category.

Announcing the nominations, Zain Marketing Chief and Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa said MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain showcase the wealth of musical talent that exist in Africa, stressing that the awards provide the platform for youths across Africans to recognise and reward their favourite African and international music art.

The announcement was made at a VIP soirée at Planet One, Lagos , Nigeria . The event was attended by award contenders, Koko Master, D’Banj, ‘Kini Big Deal’ Naeto C, Wahu, and DJ Cleo.

The winners of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain will be unveiled at The Velodrome, Abuja, on Saturday, 22 November 2008 and will be broadcast on MTV base (DStv Channel 322, GTV), partner networks and terrestrial channels RTGA (Democratic Republic of the Congo), TV3 (Ghana), NTV (Kenya), AIT (Nigeria), STV (Nigeria), TBC (Tanzania) and WBS (Uganda), from 29 November 2008.