2 FACE IDIBIA WEEKEND ON Hip TV CHANNEL 9 ON HiTV

Smooth Promotions owners and operators of Hip TV and The Headies in partnership with Buckwyld Media Network and Hypertek Entertainment, will be hyping 2face Idibia all this Weekend on Hip TV, a 24hours  entertainment channel showing on HITV Channel 9 from the 5th to the 7th of August 2011. The programme will be about 2face and his musical career.

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Chris Brown,2Face Idibia and D'banj Shines at BET Awards 2011

Last year at the BET Awards, Chris Brown stomped and bawled his way through an emotional tribute to his idol, the late Michael Jackson. The performance earmarked a yearlong public plea for redemption that had plenty of highs and lows. On Sunday night, it was pretty clear that at least one audience had embraced the singer.

The 22-year-old was the uncontested man of the evening, collecting five trophies, including male R&B artist, video of the year and collaboration for “Look at Me Now” during the telecast, which aired live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Chris Brown

"All my fans are everything to me," Brown said while accepting the award for male R&B artist. "I know it's been a long road. I just appreciate every blessing that's been put in front of me."

Later, he delivered a dance-heavy medley of tracks from “F.A.M.E.,” his first No. 1 album, and performed alongside buzzy up-and-coming rapper Big Sean. He even chided his own lack of poise when it comes to public speaking, something the audience got a laugh out of, given his meltdown on "Good Morning America" in March.

Although Brown’s appearance made for the rather awkward question of seating arrangements in case Rihanna would make an appearance -- she didn’t, despite winning for female R&B artist -– their names did cross paths thanks to a major snafu.

D'banj Arrival

As a fan presented the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award, Brown's name was called as the winner (the show used tablet computers instead of traditional envelopes to reveal who had won), but then it was quickly changed to Rihanna.

“Well, this is awkward,” said Drake, who emerged from backstage to accept on behalf of the absent singer for their hit “What’s My Name,” amid gasps and muttering from the confused audience.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, host Kevin Hart bought out Brown to tell him he was actually the intended winner of the trophy, along with the FANdemonium Award. Talk about awkward -- especially as a chunk of the audience had already began filing out of the venue.

2face @ the press room

The BET Awards have always been less about onstage drama and more about what surprises the network could cook up, and there were a few highlights throughout the night, including Anita Baker performing with Mary J. Blige and a passionate, posthumous tribute to Teena Marie, Gill Scott-Heron, Nate Dogg and Clarance Clemons.
The BET stage, as Brown demonstrated, is the place to begin a much-needed comeback narrative.

Former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland sent tongues wagging with a steamy performance of her No. 1 single “Motivation,” alongside crooner Trey Songz. After a handful of stalls for her serially delayed disc, "Here I Am," it was no surprise that all eyes were on her for the performance, especially as her last BET showing came at the tail end of a number from her more famous ex-bandmate Beyoncé.

Not one to let her presence go unseen, Beyoncé this year was beamed in from her Glastonbury festival debut, where she delivered a charging performance of the new single “End of Time.”

2face

With her new album, “4,” getting off to a slow start –- none of the singles have cracked the top 10 –- the closing slot was a much-needed promotional push.

Despite being a continent away, the singer managed to have the performance of the evening. In the Shrine, a section of the audience waved flags emblazoned with the letter "B," and a slew of dancers gyrated below the big screen of her performance. Though satellite performances are nothing new for awards shows, she was the first artist to perform on the network via satellite.

Other winners included Wiz Khalifia for new artist and Kanye West for male hip-hop artist. Nicki Minaj was all laughs when she won for female hip-hop artist, as expected.

"Wow, I can't believe I won. No, no. Not like that," Minaj said as the audience roared in laughter. "What I mean is I didn't expect to....When I say I can't believe I won, I mean I can't believe I get to share this with [Lil Wayne], who saw me rapping on the steps."

2face Arrival

Here’s a complete BET Awards 2011 Winners List:

Female R&B artist: Rihanna
Male R&B artist: Chris Brown
Female hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj
Male hip-hop artist: Kanye West
Collaboration: Chris Brown, “Look At Me Now,” feat. Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes
New artist: Wiz Khalifa
Group: Diddy Dirty Money
Young Stars award: (tie) Jaden Smith and Willow Smith
Gospel: Mary Mary
Centric award: Marsha Ambrosius
Actress: Taraji P. Henson
Actor: Idris Elba
Movie: “For Colored Girls”
Sportsman of the year: Michael Vick
Sportswoman of the year: Serena Williams
International act, UK: Tinie Tempah
International act, Africa: (tie) 2Face Idibia and D’Banj
Video director of the year: Chris Robinson
Viewers’ choice: Chris Brown, “Look At Me Now”

Did any of the top choices surprise you?

Photos of 2face Idibia LIVE on The Mo'nique show

Africa's number one 2face Idibia was on the Mo'nique Show for a live taping in Atlanta on Tuesday 8th of February 2011. The 2face episode of Mo'nique Show is not airing this week,watch this space for première day information.The Mo'nique show airs on BET International  in Nigeria on HiTV channel 24, DStv 116 and StarTimes.

Doing The song "African Queen"

A sit down with Mo'nique

Photo session

PHOTOS BY :- Ayo Shonaiya

MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS WITH AIRTEL : - WINNERS LIST

Congolese artist Fally Ipupa, and Nigeria’s 2Face led the winners at the third edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel (MAMA), each taking home two trophies at the music awards ceremony at the Eko Expo Hall, Lagos on 11 December 2010.

Nominated in four separate categories, Fally Ipupa scored wins for Best Video (“Sexy Dance”) and Best Francophone act while 2Face, a former MAMA winner from 2009, picked up trophies for Artist of the Year and Best Male.

Cabo Snoop notched up a music first for Angola by becoming the first ever Angolan winner at MAMA 2010, taking home the prize for Best Lusophone act. The inaugural Best Anglophone award went to Kenyan Gospel breakthrough artist Daddy Owen – the first time a gospel artist has won a MAMA.

Song of the Year was won by South African pop/R&B outfit Liquideep for their hauntingly lovely 'Fairytale'.  New MAMA award category Best Performance was won by Big Nuz, the South African house trio making waves all over the continent.

Nigerian vocalist Sasha scored Nigeria’s first ever win in the Best Female category after Kenyan dominance over the last two years. Nigerian R&B duo P-Square (Nigeria) added yet another MAMA trophy to their awards cabinet – taking home Best Group for the third year running!  Rising Nigerian star Mo Cheddah notched up her first win in the hotly contested Brand:New category which recognises rising stars tipped by MTV for success. The prestigious Best International act was received by Eminem who accepted the award via satellite from the USA.  The MAMA Legend award, won by the late, great Miriam Makeba, was presented by Public Enemy founder and hip hop pioneer Chuck D.

The 2010 MAMA awards opened with an explosive performance by Hip Hop heavyweight, Rick Ross,  and closed with an unforgettable rendition of “Win” featuring T-Pain, Rick Ross, Da LES and 2Face - a world first.  In keeping with the tradition of the awards, the show featured an array of electrifying collaborations between artists from different parts of the continent, mixing up music genres, language and cultures in a unprecedented extravaganza of African talent.  Among the collaborations were Nigeria’s 2Face who hooked up with South African rock outfit The Parlotones. The performance of Banky W’s “Lagos Party” saw South Africa’s Big Nuz, Angola’s Cabo Snoop and Paul G and DRC’s Barbara Kanam rocking the house with the first ever truly pan-African version of the hit track.

Commented Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, “Tonight’s MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel was a joyful and uplifting celebration of African youth culture and music.  It brought together the best talent from across Africa to showcase the incredible music that Africa has to offer to the world.  It is amazing to see the collaborations between the artists as it fosters a spirit of camaraderie and creative exchange that takes their music to a new level.”

Commented Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Africa, “The diversity and talent of the performances this evening was a reflection of the vast and rich talent pool that Africa has to offer.   We at Airtel are proud to partner with the MTV Africa Music Awards as it is a platform for the youth and young at heart in Africa, enabling them to showcase their talent to a global audience. Music is an important way to connect with Africa as we relaunch the Airtel brand on the continent. It will support Airtel’s mission of giving the youth a means to express themselves and the freedom to do more.”

Among the performers at the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel were: 2Face (Nigeria), Banky W (Nigeria), Barbara Kanam (DRC), Big Nuz (South Africa), Cabo Snoop (Angola), Daddy Owen (Kenya), Diamond (Tanzania), Eve (USA), Fally Ipupa (DRC), J. Martins (Nigeria), Jozi (South Africa), Liquideep (South Africa), Lizha James (Mozambique), Mo Cheddah (Nigeria), Paul G (Angola), P-Unit (Kenya), Public Enemy (USA), Radio & Weasel (Uganda), Rick Ross (USA), Sarkodie (Ghana), Sasha (Nigeria), T-Pain (USA), Teargas (South Africa), The Parlotones (South Africa), Wande Coal (Nigeria).

Guest presenters and celebrity guests included Ba Ponga, Dama do Bling, Lizha James, Daniel Amokachi, Oluchi, Julius Agwu, Genevieve Nnaji, Muthoni, Nneka, MTV VJs Vanessa Mdee  & Sizwe Dhlomo, Tatiana, JoJo and fashion designer Lisa Foluniyo.

MAMA 2010 WINNERS IN FULL

Best Anglophone - Daddy Owen (Kenya)
Best Francophone - Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Best Lusophone - Cabo Snoop (Angola)
Artist of the Year- 2Face (Nigeria)
Best Female - Sasha (Nigeria)
Best Male - 2Face (Nigeria)
Best Video - Fally Ipupa (DRC): “Sexy Dance”
Best Group – P-Square (Nigeria)
Brand New Act - Mo Cheddah (Nigeria)
Best Performance - Big Nuz (South Africa)
Song of the Year - Liquideep (South Africa): “Fairytale”
MAMA Legend – Miriam Makeba (South Africa)
Best International – Eminem (USA).

NMVA 2010 WINNERS LIST

Against all odds the fourth edition of the Nigerian Music Video Awards held at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, December 28, 2010. It was, as usual, a gathering of the stakeholders of the entertainment industry in Nigeria who trooped out in their numbers to come and witness this year’s version of the oldest music video awards in the land hosted by the longest running music TV programme in the land, LIVEBEATS, which is owned by Cally Ikpe’s CALLYVISION NETWORK.

In the buildup to the event he had complained about the lack of a major sponsor for the event. This fact, even though, it didn’t stop the event from holding definitely reflected on the quality of the show put up. The economic crunch has definitely affected the entertainment industry in Nigeria and while the $200 million dollars promised by Mr. President is a welcome development for it, the early and necessary access to it by brands such as the NMVA and other laudable entertainment projects annually put up in this country would go a long way in improving their quality and sustainment.

While there were no clearcut sweeping winners in the 24-category award like in last year’s event where Darey, held sway, 2face, Clarence Peters and Dipp still managed two awards each while the rest of the winners got one each. Yet Clarence Peters could be said to have won the most awards as coupled with his individual two, his videos also won the Video of The Year, Best Use of Costume, Best Contemporary Afro and Best Video By a New Artist. Here is the winners’ list:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: 2face – “Only Me”
BEST AFRO HIP HOP VIDEO: Mr. Raw Nwanne – “O Chukwu”
BEST USE OF ANIMATION: T.W.O – “I Need Someone”
BEST FUJI MUSIC VIDEO: Dekunle Fuji – “Funmilayo”
BEST CONTEMPORARY AFRO: Sound Sultan – “2010”
BEST MAINSTREAM HIP HOP: Bouqui – “Take You Away”
BEST AFROBEAT MUSIC VIDEO: Fela – “Viva Africa”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Director): TOSIN IGHO – “Don’t Leave Me”
BEST AFRO POP: 2face – “Only Me”
BEST USE OF CHOREOGRAPHY: Dipp – “Pop Off Selecta”
BEST HIGHLIFE: J. Martins – “Eva”
BEST REGGAE DANCEHALL: General Pype – “Champion”
BEST SOFT ROCK VIDEO: Djinee – “Overkillin’”
BEST USE OF EFFECTS: Dipp – “Pop Off Selecta”
BEST INDIGENOUS CONCEPT: Kefee – “Thank You”
BEST USE OF COSTUME: Goldie – “You Know It”
BEST R ‘n’ B: Banky W – “Strong Ting”
BEST GOSPEL: KSB – “Turn Around”
BEST VIDEO BY A NEW ARTIST: Solidstar – “One In A Million”
MOST POPULAR NIGERIAN MUSIC VIDEO IN EUROPE: JJC – “We Are Africans”
BEST DIRECTOR: Clarence Peters
BEST EDITOR: Clarence Peters
BEST PRODUCER: KENNIS MUSIC
BEST NEW DIRECTOR: Frizzle – “Taka Sufe”

Culled from Questionmark

RICK ROSS, P-UNIT, WANDE COAL & JOZI JOIN PERFORMERS AT 2010 MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS WITH AIRTEL

As the countdown begins to the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA), four more awesome artists have been added to the performer roster for Africa’s most exciting music event.  USA hip hop star Rick Ross, Kenya’s P-Unit, South Africa’s Jozi and Nigeria’s Wande Coal will join previously announced performers DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast), 2FACE (Nigeria), Daddy Owen (Kenya), Banky W (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Teargas (South Africa) and Cabo Snoop (Angola).

Visiting Africa for the first time to take part in the 11 December spectacular, US rapper Rick Ross has been described by the New York Times as “one of rap’s most potent and creative forces”.  The tattoo-loving, six-foot, larger-than-life rap figure first came to attention with “Hustlin”, his 2006 debut single. Influenced by artists like Luther Campbell and Notorious B.I.G, Ross, a.k.a. William Roberts, aimed to put Miami back in rap's national spotlight and went on to do just that with his 2006 album “Port of Miami”, which went to number one on the Billboard album chart. Similar acclaim followed for “Trilla” (2007) and “Deeper Than Rap” (2009), while his 2010 album release “Teflon Don”, which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, has garnered critical acclaim for its emotional depth, cinematic production, sleek, synth-heavy beats, and rich soundscapes.  Ross is nominated in the Best International categoryatthe MAMA awards.

Making their first appearance at the MAMAs, Best Group contenders P-Unit are going head to head against Uganda’s Radio & Weasle, South Africa’s Teargas and multiple MAMA winners and Nigerian music phenomenon, P-Square.  As well as performing at the 2010 show, former MAMA winners Jozi are also nominated in the Artist of the Year category, where they are pitched against 2FACE, P-Square and Fally Ipupa.  Wande Coal faces a tough race in the Best Anglophone category, where Ghana’s Sarkodie, Kenya’s Daddy Owen and South Africa’s Biz Nuz are also in the running.

The MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel takes place on Saturday 11 December 2010 and will broadcast on MTV base, MTV platforms around the world and partner TV stations from 18 December 2010.

SMVA 2010 WINNERS LIST

The pan-African awards was easily the hottest, most exclusive party anywhere on the continent – with a multimedia package deal that included an international couture show featuring the like’s of South Africa’s Dax Martin and Nigeria Mai Atafo and Tiffany Amber; and then unforgettable performances from Asa, Mo’Hits, R2Bee’s and lots of lush VIP pampering from Hennessey, impressive showmanship from host Uti and powerful production values from technical creative directors Jan Malan Umzingeli Productions.

And while there were multiple category nominations for established pop stars Banky W (7) and P Square(5), the former came away with two nods (Best Male and Viewers choice), and the latter with a single Best Editing SMVA for their video ’Danger’.

And so multiple wins were more modest, Banky (2) and 2Face Idibia (2), with more Nigerian wins (8) than any other country, but with a far greater spread across nominees, with suprise wins for South Africa’s JR as Discovery of the Year and the Hit Producer award for late rapper Dagrin’s creative partner, Sossick.

Social media of course trended SMVA and made it what might yet be the biggest and most entertaining live show ever packaged by Nigerians for the rest of the world.

Here’s a list of winners:

Best Male Video – Banky W for ‘Strong thing’
Best Female Video – Goldie for ‘You Know it’ Ft. Eldee
Best Special Effects – Djinee
Best Editing – PSquare
Best Cinematography – Teargas
Best Hip Hop Video – Jozi
Best Pop Video – 2Face
Best Collaboration in a Music Video – Sarkodie
Discovery of the Year – JR
Best Video – Banky W
Viewers Choice – Buffalo Souljah
Hit Producer Of The Year – Sossick for Da Grin’s Pon Pon
Best Western – 2face
Best Eastern – Wahu
Best Central – Fally Ipupa
Soundcity Fresh Video – Tania Tome

R&B LEGEND R. KELLY JOINS STAR STUDDED SUPERGROUP FROM AFRICA - ONE8

The all-star line-up of the supergroup ONE8 is now complete.

The ONE8 artists have been amped up, living the high life in Chicago and most importantly, recording what will no doubt be one of the world’s hottest singles this holiday season. Hands Across the World is being released today to radio stations and clubs across Africa and worldwide.

The star-studded gathering of African musical giants has continued to gather mass momentum with 8 of Africa’s rockstar legends combining their star power and talent into the continent’s first supergroup. Now Rockstar4000 and Sony Music Worldwide are proud to announce the last signing to the group – international mega-star R. Kelly and the release of the group’s first single.

R. Kelly, who was recently joined in the world famous Chicago studios by the members of ONE8, has been a powerful force in R&B worldwide for the past two decades. Apart from global fame he has also received numerous awards for some of the most important recordings of our time, as well as outstanding production, for many years, making him one of the best selling urban artists of all time. Hits like ‘I Believe I Can Fly’, ‘Bump ‘n Grind’ and ‘Gotham City’ have made him a household name around the world and his production on top artists like Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, LL Cool J and many more have kept him at the top of the charts and on radio for the duration of his music career.

2Face and Fally Ipupa

R. Kelly is excited to be involved in the ONE8 project. Speaking from his studio in Chicago as they put the final touches to the single, he stated: “I love projects like this . As I hear the music of these artists and meet them in person I can feel myself connect. Somehow I can feel the excitement and adrenaline through them and then the ideas and everything around this track just comes together. This is probably one of the greatest things I have ever done, I can just feel it in me.”

ONE8 already consists of the finest superstars on the African continent. Born from a simple idea and a small collaboration, the momentum of this project has turned it into a full-blown supergroup already dubbed by fans and media as ‘a music revolution’ and ‘history in the making’. ONE8 will release not only the hottest single of the year, but also a full album and DVD later this year. This long-term project was kicked into high gear when the artists flew into Chicago late last month to record ‘Hands Across the World’ with R. Kelly and his world class production team.

The group also recorded a video and documentary which will be released shortly.

The final ONE8 line up has been confirmed as follows:
R Kelly – USA
2Face – Nigeria
Alikiba – Tanzania
Amani – Kenya
Fally Ipupa – DRC
4X4 – Ghana
JK – Zambia
Movaizhalene – Gabon
Navio – Uganda

With a scorching hot track now released and an album in the pipeline, the ONE8 crew is heading for the ride of their lives! A major focus of the ONE8 group is to provide their fans with digital All Access passes to follow their diaries and journeys as larger than life rockstars around the clock, allowing fans closer and more personal experiences than ever before. Join online at www.myone8.com, on mobile at myone8.mobi, facebook.com/myone8, twitter.com/myone8 or youtube.com/one8TV and be part of history in the making as ONE8 explodes a revolution in music from Africa across the world!

Rhythm Unplugged 2010

This year's Rhythm Unplugged holds on the 26th of December,2010 at the new Expo Centre of EKO HOTEL & SUITES,Lagos.

Tickets are now on sell for N5,000, N20,000 and TABLES: N300,000.

Artists Performing include;

Artists:
2face, Banky W, Wiz Kid, MI, Jesse Jags, ELDEE, Ice Prince, Naeto C, Sound Sultan, Timaya, Terry G, Kas, Ikechukwu, 9ice, J Martin, Timi Dakolo, Omawumi, Tiwa Savage, Faze, Yemi Sax

Comedians:
Basketmouth, AY, Okey Bakassi, Buchi, CD JOHN, YOUNGEST LANDLORD, Aje Baba, Funny Bones, Acapella, Mc Shaggy and Memory Card

HOST: IK

Channel O Music Video Awards 2010:-WINNERS LIST

Nigerian artists won most of the awards at the Channel O video Awards 2010. The Awards was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in J’burg, South Africa.

The categories and winners are :

Afro pop video- D’banj (fall in love )
Group and featured -Psquare (E no easy )
Most gifted East Africa - Obita ft Loyiso(everybody dance)
Most Gifted Hip-hop - Naeto C (Ako mi ti poju )
Most gifted video – 2face(implication)
Most gifted Ragga - Gen Pype(champion )
Wonderful Recognition went to K’naan and he performed Tia via e-presence.
Most gifted south - Pro(sekele )
Most gifted dance – Liquid deep (Fairytale )
Most gifted female - Mochedda ft othello(if you want it )
Most gifted male – Black coffee(juju )
MTN most gifted video – Tear gas (party 101 )

MTV, ZAIN UNVEIL NOMINATIONS FOR MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS WITH ZAIN 2010

MTV Networks Africa and Zain have announced the nominations for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMA). The nominees for the annual poll of young African’s music tastes were announced at a star-studded celebration at De Marquee, Lagos, Nigeria, attended by artists, nominees, celebrities and VIPs including 2Face, Sasha and Mo Cheddah. The nominations were revealed by Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Group and Rajan Swaroop, CEO, Zain Nigeria.

Nigerian artists scored an impressive 13 nominations including three nominations for duo P-Square (Artist of the Year, Best Group and Best Video), and two nominations each for MAMA 2009 winner 2FACE (Best Male, Artist of the Year), Wande Coal (Best Anglophone, Best Male) and Banky W (Song of the Year, Best Video). Nigerian female artists also rated well with Best Female nods for Nneka and Sasha, and a nomination as Brand:New artist for Mo Cheddah. D’banj, a four-time MAMA winner, received yet another MAMA nomination for Song of the Year for “Fall in Love”.

MAMA 2008 Best Live Performer winners Jozi (South Africa) notched up another ‘nod’ from the MAMA academy with a nomination for Artist of the Year. Six further South African artists were recognised by the MAMA Academy, with nominations for Teargas (Best Group), JR (Song of the Year), Black Coffee (Best Male), Big Nuz (Best Anglophone), Liquideep (Song of the Year) and The Parlotones (Best Video).

Fally Ipupa scored the highest individual number of the nominations with four separate MAMA award nominations. The charismatic artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who is also performing at MAMA 2010, has been nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Male, Best Video and Best Francophone. Barbara Kanam brought the DRC nomination tally to five with a first-time nomination in the Best Female category.

East African artists continued their positive nominations run with five nominations from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenyan Gospel crossover artist Daddy Owen is nominated for the first time in the Best Anglophone category while hip hop outfit P-Unit gets a mention for Best Group and Muthoni is recognised in the Brand:New category. In Uganda there is a first time nomination for Radio and Weasle (Best Group) while Tanzania’s Diamond gets his commendation in the Brand:New category.
Following the MAMA success of Samini in 2009, Ghanaian artist Sarkodie gets a first time nomination in the Best Anglophone category.

Four US mega-artists are to fight it out in the Best International category which sees Rihanna representing the gals against Eminem, Drake and Rick Ross in the ultimate urban music face-off.
Two new categories in 2010 have broadened the scope of artists eligible for the MAMA. The Best Francophone category sees Gabon enter the MAMA race for the first time with a nomination for Ba Ponga, while Senegalese artist Awadi and Ivory Coast‘s DJ Arafat also pick up their first ever MAMA nominations. Angolan artists Cabo Snoop and Paul G pick up nominations in the Best Lusophone category alongside Mozambique’s hip hop queens Lizha James and Dama do Bling.

Commented Alex Okosi, “This year’s MAMA is even more representative of the growth of the pan-African music scene and the added emphasis on Lusophone and Francophone artists makes this the most exciting MAMA nominations race that we have seen so far. We congratulate all the artists on their nominations and wish them success on December 11th in Lagos.”

Commented Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Africa, “The nominations today have shown the universality of music and the fact all genres strike a chord and a cross-over appeal with Africa’s youth regardless of their nationality. We are happy to be associated with a platform that recognises and celebrates the rich musical heritage that positively depicts culture from across Africa.”

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain were shortlisted by the MAMA Academy – a handpicked group of music industry experts and taste makers from across the African continent. The winners for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain will be revealed on Saturday 11 December 2010 at the Eko Expo Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.

The nominees for the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain are:


Best Video
Fally Ipupa – Sexy dance (DRC)
P-Square f/t J. Martins- E No Easy (Nigeria)
The Parlotones – Life Design (South Africa)
Banky W – Strong Ting (Nigeria)

Brand:New
Mo Cheddah (Nigeria)
Diamond (Tanzania)
Muthoni (Kenya)
JoJo (Gabon)

Artist of The Year
2 Face (Nigeria)
P-Square (Nigeria)
Jozi (South Africa)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)

Song Of The Year
D'Banj - Fall In Love (Nigeria)
Liquideep - Fairytale (South Africa)
JR - Show Dem (South Africa)
Banky W - Lagos Party (Nigeria)

Best Anglophone
Sarkodie (Ghana)
Wande Coal (Nigeria)
Daddy Owen (Kenya)
Big Nuz (South Africa)

Best Francophone
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Awadi (Senegal)
DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast)
Ba Ponga (Gabon)

Best Lusophone
Lizha James (Mozambique)
Paul G (Angola)
Cabo Snoop (Angola)
Dama Do Bling (Mozambique)

Best Group
P-Square (Nigeria)
Radio & Weasle (Uganda)
Teargas (South Africa)
P-Unit (Kenya)

Best Female
Sasha (Nigeria)
Lizha James (Mozambique)
Nneka (Nigeria)
Barbara Kanam (DRC)

Best Male
2 Face (Nigeria)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Black Coffee (South Africa)
Wande Coal (Nigeria)

Best International
Rihanna (USA)
Drake (USA)
Eminem (USA)
Rick Ross (USA)

2 FACE LIVE AT THE MTN PROJECT FAME THIS WEEK

Nigerian superstar, 2Face Idibia is the next celebrity to grace the third season of MTN Project Fame West Africa. The talented music export will join the list of recording artistes that have featured in Project Fame including Asa, Samini, Yinka Davies and Onyeka Owenu.

2Face is scheduled to visit the contestants in the Performance Academy on Thursday, September 2. During his visit he will be on hand to mentor the contestants as well as motivate and rehearse with them. Being one of Nigeria’s most successful recording artistes, 2Face Idibia possesses a wealth of experience that only a select few can claim. With such experience under his belt, he is the appropriate artiste to motivate and mentor the contestants into becoming better performers and recording artistes.

And on Saturday, September 4, two weeks before he clocks 35, he will have the honour of being a guest/celebrity judge on the show. As the contestants will be performing most of his hit tracks such as *African Queen*, *Only Me*, *True Love*, *One Love* and others, he will be on hand to assess, evaluate and criticize their performance. After their performances he will end a show by performing for the millions of Project Fame fans who will no doubt be watching the show.

2Face Idibia, 34 was part of the R and B group, Plantashun Boyz that broke into the industry in the late 90’s. One of the earliest hits they featured on was *Omode Meta Sere *by Toni Tetuila. Based on the popularity of the song and the success of their debut album, they became one of Nigeria’s talented acts. The group which consisted of Black Face, Faze and Tu Face later went their separate ways a few years later.

In 2004, 2Face Idibia, released his debut album *Face to Face*. The album was success and boasted of major hits such as the classic *African Queen and Mfana Ibaga*. As a result of the runaway success of the album he won the Best African Act in the MTV Europe Awards 2005 making him the first among his contemporaries to win a major international award. So successful was he that he was given a Special Recognition Award at the maiden edition of the Hip Hop World Awards in 2006, a rarity for an artiste who had just released his first album.

Now armed with four full albums, Mr. Idibia has become a bonafide bestselling act, and an icon of contemporary pop culture. Travelling day and night across scores of cities across the world, he is an ambassador of modern Nigerian music, and a genuine candidate for mainstream international break.

“I understand how it is to be in a show like MTN Project Fame. I remember my days as an unsure upcoming artiste, and I’m happy to have an opportunity to mingle with the contestants and spend some time making music with them” Idibia said

Despite the catastrophic fire incident on Sunday, August 22, 2010, the organizers of Project Fame have insisted that “the show goes on”, and true to their words, the show continued with Helen and Vwede leaving the academy last Saturday. Seven days after the inferno, the PFWA recording went on unperturbed with veteran singer- song writer Onyeka Onwenu joining the judges and contestants to deliver one of this season’s most memorable episodes yet.

“We are glad to have 2face on the show, these talents look up to him, they want to be like him, and it is a good way to make them feel the excitement and promise in store” Femi Ayeni of Ultima studios says.

Tolu, Chidinma, Adebola, Rhoda, Eyo, Ochuko, Joecilia, Yetunde, Christian and Kesse will yet again continue in the contest, To keep your favourite contestant in the competition, just send his or her number to 306. Your vote, might just be the one to put them in the competition.

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