Ayeni Adekunle
10 November 2007
Lagos — Two years after it debuted with MTV base, its 100th channel worldwide, urbane lifestyle network MTV is now planning to host an annual award show exclusively for Africa . According to reliable information, the music driven network is amazed at the early success of its African channel MTV base, and the immense content and revenue available on the African continent, and is 'seriously' planning to consolidate its hold on the market.
In 2008, according to reliable sources, MTV will begin the annual MTV Africa Music Awards, to be called MAMA. It will be the channel's first awards dedicated wholly to the African continent.
At present, the continent is recognised in only one category at the annual MTV Europe Music Awards - and the category was only initiated in 2005 after MTV base made its debut in Africa . 2face Idibia, FreshlyGround and D'banj have won the award from 2005 till date.
Meanwhile, earlier speculations that MAMA may have its debut in Lagos Nigeria , are beginning to wobble. MTV recently moved its African head office from London to South Africa , a country with far more sophisticated infrastructure than Nigeria .
Meanwhile, the continent's legion of artistes will be the beneficiaries as MTV locks Channel O, another music network, in a fierce battle for supremacy. Channel O organises the only surviving cross-country music award presently. It's annual Channel O Spirit Of Africa music video awards is highly cherished by artistes from all over Africa . The other award, that should have been up for competition, KORA, with headquarters also in South Africa , has not been organised since 2005. No date has been fixed for the award.
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