Africa’s biggest music awards; MTV Africa Music Awards (also known as the MAMAs) may not be holding this year thereby making the ceremony a no-show in two years.
The MAMAs has been Africa’s biggest and most glamorous music awards as every edition is accompanied by a range of festivities attracting music heavyweights across the continent and beyond. The maiden edition of the MAMAs was preceded by four concerts; one in West Africa (Lagos), another in East of Africa (Kenya), South Africa and Central Africa (Congo) before the actual award ceremony all in a bid to celebrate nominees.
Although the award is often held in last quarter of the year, Mr. Alex Okosi – creator of the MAMAs, Senior Vice President of Viacom International and Executive VP/MD of BET International hinted on a possible no-show in 2018. Speaking to NET last weekend, Okosi cited that internal structures are being put in place in a bid to evolve the show. “We are always looking for opportunities to make the MAMAs happen. We are working hard and we’ve looked at the show in terms of how to evolve it because we do believe that MAMA is the epitome of all award shows… so we are working very hard to make it happen”, he said.
This wouldn’t be MAMAs’ first hiatus. After its first three editions (2008-2010), the award went on a 3-year break before making a comeback in 2014 for an edition in Durban, South Africa which has been home to the awards ceremony until its last (2016) edition that featured a headline performance by Future — with Wizkid, Drake and Yemi Alade all taking home major awards for ‘Artiste of the Year’, ‘Best Female Act and ‘Best International Act’ respectively.
Over the years, the MTV Africa Music Awards has served as a reunion of sorts for African musicians and it remains to be seen if the organizers will make an impromptu comeback before the year winds to a close. One is however in hopes that the award will return with better structures that will prove favourable to Africa’s growing music industry.