The votes are in for the first round of the Pan-African Listeners’ Choice category for the MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 and the nominees have been announced. Twenty artists from 18 different African countries will now go head-to-head against one another as music fans across the continent put in their votes for their favourites. The winner will be revealed at the MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 that will be hosted virtually in partnership with Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, on 20 February 2021.

The Listeners’ Choice category gives music lovers across the continent the opportunity to have their voices heard. The majority of the list of finalists for this category was determined by votes on local radio stations and social media, selecting the best publicly-voted musicians from different African countries.

“The MAMA is all about bringing the music to the people, celebrating the best that Africa has to offer and uniting us through African youth culture,” says Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and General Manager at ViacomCBS Networks Africa (VCNA). “The Listeners’ Choice Award embodies this philosophy, as it ensures that the voices of music lovers across the diverse countries on the continent are recognised.”

The nominees for the MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 Listeners’ Choice category are:

Anna Joyce (Angola)
ASAPH (Zimbabwe)
Dagi D (Ethiopia)
DBN Gogo & DJ Dinho (South Africa)
Didi B (Cote D’Ivoire)
Drizilik (Sierra Leone)
Focalistic (South Africa)
Khaligraph Jones (Kenya)
Locko (Cameroon)
Malome Vector (Lesotho)
Meddy (Rwanda)
Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt)
Ngaaka Blindé (Senegal)
Pallaso (Uganda)
Rayvanny (Tanzania)
Sarkodie (Ghana)
Shirazee (Benin)
Slick Stuart & DJ Roja (Uganda)
Souhila Ben Lachhab (Algeria)
Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)

The MAMA is brought to you in partnership with Uganda, The Pearl of Africa to recognize and reward musicians, trailblazers and those who are shining a light on the continent’s diverse talent and creativity by having a positive impact on African music and youth culture over the previous year. The MAMA also provides the opportunity to expand the African narrative by showcasing Uganda’s diversity, culture, talent, heritage and wildlife, to a global audience.

The winner will be revealed at the MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 that will be hosted virtually in partnership with Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, on 20 February 2021 at 20:00 WAT / 21:00 CAT / 22:00 EAT.

To support your country’s artists, please go to www.mtvmama.com and vote for your favourite in the Listeners’ Choice category. Voting closes on 31 January 2021.

For more information on the MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021, please go to www.mtvmama.com, like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MTVBaseVerified, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @MTVBaseAfrica. To join the conversation about the awards, please use the hashtag #MTVMAMA2021 #VISITUGANDA.

Source: ameyawdebrah.com

As part of Audiomack’s committing to Ghana outside of just music and focused on giving back to the community and culture, the music streaming and discovery platform, in collaboration with Amsterdam-based fashion label Daily Paper, is funding the restoration of the football pitch at Accra Girls Senior High School after it sponsored this year’s annual football tournament.

This annual tourney by Daily Paper is a celebration of the ongoing initiative to empower the youth and give back to the Ghanaian community by reinforcing commitment through sports. Since 2017, Daily Paper, founded by three close friends, Hussein Suleiman, Abderrahmane Trabsini, and Jefferson Osei, has been consistent in showcasing and supporting Ghanaian youths. Audiomack is no different.

This year’s tournament took place inside the Accra Girls Senior High School and saw a great line-up of the best African creatives and athletes. Alongside Daily Paper and Audiomack, the teams included SmallGod, Eunice Beckham, La Même Gang, and members from Daily Paper, Free the Youth, Young, Melanin Unscripted, and Native Mag. The kits were designed by Daily Paper in collaboration with Puma.

Drawing attention to the creative arts in Ghana, outside of just music, Audiomack has also made it a point to help the community which has blessed the world with its music and culture.

David Ponte, Audiomack Co-Founder & CMO says, “We are thrilled to partner up with Daily Paper, Puma, and the Accra Girls Senior High School for this amazing event! Our mission at Audiomack is not only to move music forward but to also empower the youth so that they can continue to innovate and express their creativity on and off the pitch!”

Jefferson Osei, Co-Founder of Daily Paper, explains, “We are glad to collaborate with Audiomack, who shares in our vision to accelerate growth in the African creative industry. Giving back to the continent that inspired us to create our label has always been a dream for us, and we will continue to intensify efforts towards achieving that vision.”

“All [of] our collaborations are purposeful collaborations for community growth and youth development, so it is exciting to see Audiomack coming on board for this year’s tournament,” Osei continues. “Youth culture is part of Daily Paper’s DNA. We started the brand as a lifestyle brand and invested in empowering youth culture. Within Daily Paper’s global community the brand has always organically built authentic relationships with the youth.”

Daily Paper partnered up with Audiomack based on the organic connection made for the love of West and South African music: Afro Alté, Afrobeats, African hip-hop, African-American Drill, and Amapiano. “This was the base of the relationship. From here on, both entities explored possibilities to invest in the Motherland,” Osei adds.

According to reports by the Variety, Live Nation; the world’s largest live-entertainment company, has acquired a majority stake in Veeps, the ticketed livestream platform launched by Joel and Benji Madden of the band Good Charlotte. The Madden brothers, along with cofounders Sherry Saeedi and Kyle Heller, will remain at the helm of Veeps, with their full team staying on to continue with all operations of the business, according to the announcement.

Established in 2017, Veeps is designed for ticketed livestreams, and facilitates engagement between artists and fans with features like chat and exclusive merch purchases, while also supporting broad social marketing and VIP offerings. Unlike many livestream platforms, Veeps is also commission-free.

The platform, which hosted approximately 1,000 ticketed livestreams in 2020, has presented concerts by artists including Brandi Carlile, Liam Payne, Pete Yorn, Louis Tomlinson, Architects, Rufus Wainwright and many others. While the company declined to share audience numbers, Live Nation noted that Payne’s concert (pictured) in October “was primarily responsible for a record number of over 3.7 billion chat messages on Veeps across all livestream shows that month.” Wainwright held more shows on the platform in 2020 than any other artists with 33.

The move is a logical one for Live Nation: While infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that mass gatherings like concerts may return by the autumn “if everything goes right” — a big if, considering the United States government’s weak response to the pandemic — the process will inevitably be gradual, and it may be some time before people feel comfortable gathering in enclosed spaces with fellow humans. A future scenario where most major concerts offer both live and livestreamed options seems likely.

Nigerian star Reekado Banks has teamed up with fellow Nigerian afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage for an exciting start to 2021. The two acts release “Speak To Me” today, which comes from Banks’ latest project release Off The Record. The upbeat, colorful track is likely destined to creep its way up the charts, and the familiar faces present throughout the newly released music video, directed by Adasa Cookey, will definitely help.

Big Brother Nigeria reality personalities Brighto Osemudiame and Wathoni Anyansi lend their beauty and energy to the fun, light hearted visuals for “Speatk to Me.”