The Headies, Nigeria’s most prestigious music award that celebrates excellence in the Nigerian music industry, has returned for its 14th year. It covers music released between July 2019 to September 2020.

At the event each year, fans and artistes look forward to two of the most sought after awards in the Nigerian music industry, ‘Next Rated’ and ‘Rookie of the year’. Many winners of that category like Wizkid, Davido, and Mayorkun have successful careers. The Next-rated list covers an elite set of fast-rising stars who have performed exceptionally this year. This includes Tems, Omah Lay, Oxlade, Bella Shmurda. Big Brother Naija Lockdown winner, Laycon, who many touted as a possible winner for the award didn’t make the list.

After years of consideration, the organisers of the Headies also included a new nomination category “Songwriter of the year”. A statement on the awards website says that they created the category ‘to bring to the limelight hardworking individuals who have all significantly supported the creation of quality music’.

The Headies will announce a date for the award ceremony where they will reveal the winners of the various categories.

The full list of nominees for this year’s Headies Awards is below:

1. BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.

OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO
SMILE – WIZKID FEAT. HER
WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY
DREAMER – FIREBOY DML
GHOST TOWN – WURLD

2. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual who is responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.

PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI
SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE
KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY
SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD

3. BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.

GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ
ILLY CHAPO X – ILLBLISS
YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP
CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO
THE ERIGMA II – ERIGGA

4. BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML
I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD
KING – PRAIZ
BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
CELIA – TIWA SAVAGE

5. BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

YELLOW – BRYMO
LUCID – ASA
THE LIGHT – BEZ
PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI
ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN

6. BEST POP ALBUM
A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO
WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD

7. BEST MUSIC VIDEO
A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.

ELI – FIREBOY BY CLARENCE PETERS
1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K
SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI
BILLIONAIRE – TENI BY TG OMORI
SHEKERE – YEMI ALADE BY OVIE ETSEYATSE

8. BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).

UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ
DUDUKE – SIMI
MAD – SARZ & WURLD
BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY
TATTOO – FIREBOY DML
DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE

9. BEST COLLABO
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).

KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD
DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN
TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE
GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ

10. BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.

OGB4IG – REMINISCE
SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ
COUNTRY – ILLBLISS
GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM
BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS

11. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)
A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.

WURLD – GHOST TOWN
CHIKE – FORGIVE
PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY
COHBAMS – PLENTI
NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE
JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU

12. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.

SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL
LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE
NINIOLA – ADDICTED
J-DESS – CHI EFO
YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI
IMANSE – AJALA

13. HEADIES REVELATION
A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.

VICTOR AD
FIREBOY DML
JOEBOY
TENI
REMA
CHIKE

14. LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.

AQ – EUNICE
BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2
MI ABAGA – TRINITY
ILL BLISS – COUNTRY
PHENOM – GET THE INFO
PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE

15. BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.
NAIRA MARLEY & YOUNG JOHN – MAFO
MAYORKUN – GENG
REMINISCE FEAT. OLAMIDE & NAIRA MARLEY – INSTAGRAM
RUDEBOY – AUDIO MONEY
IVD & ZLATAN – BOLANLE
OLAMIDE – PAWON

16. BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG
A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.

CORNER – LADY DONLI FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN
I WONDER – MOELOGO
BITTER – DEENA ADE
ANITA – THE CAVEMEN
MONEY DEVOTION – GBASKY
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN – OLU

17. ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in the year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).

AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML
AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
YELLOW – BRYMO
BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE

18. AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION
A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.

MASTER KG
KUAMI EUGENE
SAUTI SOL
SHAATA WALE
STONEBWOY

19. HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE
A voting category to award the fan’s favourite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.

DAVIDO
OMAH LAY
BURNA BOY
FALZ
FIREBOY DML
MAYORKUN
DJ NEPTUNE
WIZKID

20. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.

OLAKIRA
ALPHA P
JAMOPYPER
ZINOLEESKY
BAD BOY TIMZ

21. BEST POP SINGLE
A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).

BILLIONAIRE – TENI
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI.
LADY – REMA
FEM – DAVIDO
JORO – WIZKID
SKELETUN – TEKNO

22. SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.

FEM – DAVIDO
NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI
JORO – WIZKID
MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY
DUDUKE – SIMI

23. NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.

TEMS
OMAH LAY
OXLADE
BELLA SHMURDA

24. ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. The overall most successful artiste in the year under review.

BURNA BOY
DAVIDO
WIZKID
MAYORKUN
TIWA SAVAGE

25. HEADIES SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.

SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)
ADEDAMOLA ADEFOLAHAN (FIREBOY DML DML – DREAMER)
DAMINI OGULU (BURNA BOY – WAY TOO BIG)
STANLEY OMAH DIDIA (OMAH LAY – BAD INFLUENCE)
SADIQ ONIFADE (WURLD – GHOST TOWN)
ADEKUNLE KOSOKO (1 MILLION – DAVIDO)

26. HALL OF FAME
Special recognition to an individual for excellence and outstanding impact on the entertainment industry.

KING SUNNY ADE

27. SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
Special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact on the entertainment industry.

EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM

TIMAYA

The post See The Full List Of The 14th Headies Awards Nominees appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Nigeria submitted a movie to the Oscars for consideration for the first time in 2019. The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) submitted its second movie, Desmond Ovbiagele’s Boko Haram-inspired film, ‘The Milkmaid’ to the IFF Executive Committee on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. 

Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood is the second-largest in the world, second to India’s Bollywood, in the volume of movies released per year. Reports say it makes over 1,500 films annually. Nigerian producers have been making movies since the early ‘50s. But Chris Obi Rapu, Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, and Cheif Kenneth Nnebue collaborated to create Nollywood’s ‘first’ film in 1992. Their film, ‘Living In Bondage’, is considered the start of Nollywood as we know it. Since 1992, the industry has grown and now generates over $1 billion in revenue yearly, according to Nairametrics. 

Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ was the first-ever Netflix original film to be produced in Nigeria and also the first film to be submitted to The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences for an International Feature Film (IFF) nomination. Until 2020, the award category was formerly known as ‘Best Foreign Language Film’. 

In 2020 alone, Netflix original pictures received 24 nominations at the Academy Awards. The streaming company scored its first ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ nomination in 2018 for Hungarian movie, ‘Body and Soul’.

However, ‘Lionheart’ never made it through. The IFF Executive Committee disqualified it for not having enough of the movie’s dialogue in an indigenous language. The movie was largely in English, with a few scenes in Pidgin-English and about 16% in Igbo. 

Now, the NOSC, consisting of respected Nigerian filmmakers and critics, has submitted its second Nollywood film, ‘The Milkmaid’ to the IFF Executive Committee earlier this week. 

Last year, there was a mix up about the rules and what the Oscars considered to constitute an international film. The NOSC was hard-pressed to make sure that such mistakes were not made this year. The rules for the Best International Film category clearly specify: ‘The recording of the original dialogue track as well as the completed picture must be predominantly in a language or languages other than English. Accurate, legible English-language subtitles are required.’

The NOSC’s decision to submit ‘The Milkmaid’ this year completely satisfies the requirements of the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences International Feature Film category. The movie, written, produced and directed by Desmond Ovbiagele is primarily in the Hausa language. The film that was shot on location in Taraba State, North-East Nigeria, also features Fulfulde and Arabic dialogues, all languages spoken by Northern Nigerians. 

‘The Milkmaid’ focuses on how the deadly insurgency situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, affects women and children. Drawing inspiration from the image at the back of the 10 Naira note, the film follows a young Fulani girl, who confronts religious extremism in her rural African community. She embarks on a quest to locate her kidnapped sister, even as she tries to recapture her lost past.

It stars popular Northern Nigerian actress, Maryam Booth, alongside Ibrahim Jammal, Anthonieta Kalunta, Gambo Usman Kona among others. The film also credits New Jersey-based-surgeon, Oluseun Sowemimo as Executive Producer.

The movie is from a smaller part of the broader Nollywood film industry established in Northern Nigeria and characterised by films made in Hausa, Kannywood. Even though Kannywood had its first commercially successful film, ‘Turmin Danya’ in 1990 and got its name in 1999 from a Hausa publisher, Shehu Sanusi Daneji, it never became as popular as its counterpart in the south. This is one of the biggest films out of that region in recent times and it is interesting that the NOSC picked it out of five other movies from the Southern region. 

The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences also specifies that the country’s official film body may nominate only one film for the ‘Best International Film’ category. This explains why the committee didn’t submit movies like ‘Sanitation Day’, ‘Voiceless’, ‘Oloture’, ‘Ibi’ (The Birth), and ‘Eyimofe’, which made it through the first vetting process. ‘The Milkmaid’ received the most votes from the 12-member Nigerian Official Selection Committee at the final vetting.

The head of the committee, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, says seven of the nine voting-NOSC members cast their vote for ‘The Milkmaid’. While, three of the NOSC members were considered ineligible to vote, due to their affiliation with some of the films in competition, like ‘Oloture’.

She added, ‘The Academy’s approved parameters had to be diligently followed to select the country’s entry without prejudice. And I must say that the Nigerian film industry is awakened to the internationally-acceptable requirements for film production, though there would always be room for improvement in order to increase our competitive outlook every year.’

While this is only Nigeria’s second submission, the whole country is rooting for ‘The Milkmaid’ and hoping that it will get a nomination. But the final selection of nominees is subject to further determination by the IFF Executive Committee, and all we can do is hope and pray.

The post How Desmond Ovbiagele’s ‘The Milkmaid’  Made it to the Oscars appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

With the nomination announcement for the 14th edition of The Headies, Fireboy Leads the nomination table in 8 categories including the much-coveted ‘Album of The Year’ and ‘Recording of The Year’ categories.

The Headies is the most prestigious music award that recognises creativity and celebrates excellence in Nigeria. Spanning 25 voting and non-voting categories, this year, Fireboy is leading the table with the highest nominations totalling eight for ‘Recording of the Year’, ‘Best R&B Album, ‘Best Pop Album’, ‘Best Music Video’, ‘Best R&B Single’, ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Headies Viewers Choice and ‘Songwriter of the Year’.

Many are not surprised because Fireboy has released phenomenal music this past year from the release of his debut album ‘Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps’ in 2019 to his sophomore album ‘Apollo’ released in 2020. Both were received with critical acclaim and much love from the public.

Just last year, Fireboy had only four nominations at The Headies including ‘Next Rated’ category. Unfortunately, he walked home with no awards. Maybe this year will be pivotal and see him bringing home not just one, but multiple awards.

Davido follows the lead with seven nominations including ‘Songwriter of the Year’, ‘Artiste of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’. This year also has Burna Boy, Wizkid and Wurld tied at six nominations each seeing Burna and Wurld sharing categories likes ‘Songwriter of the Year’ and ‘Recording of The Year’.

Simi receives five nominations while newcomers, Chike and Omah Lay receive four nominations each. You can see the full list of nominations here.

The 14th Edition of The Headies reviews music records and works within July 2019 to September 2020 period and we must say, artistes, writer and video directors really brought their A-game. Maybe the lockdown inspired a lot of creativity. Good luck to all the nominees!

The post Fireboy: From Headies 2019 Next Rated Nominee To Highest-Nominated Artiste appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

SuperSport viewers on DStv can look forward to world class boxing action this coming weekend, as Errol Spence Jr puts his World Welterweight Championship on the line with a bout against Danny Garcia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on the morning of Sunday 6 December 2020.

Having walked away from a horror car crash last October, fighting must seem like the easy part for double champion Errol Spence, who flipped his Ferrari and suffered severe facial injuries, although he has recovered to the point where he believes he can box just as well as ever.

Despite claims of being among the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, Spence has still opted for a tough comeback in the shape of Garcia, who has held championships in two weight classes and is one of the toughest welterweight contenders on the block.

Garcia is a handful for any of the boxers in the talent-laden division and even his two losses were razor-thin decisions against elite-level opposition.

He frequently hasn’t gotten credit for his accomplishments and so he doesn’t worry about it. He believes Spence wouldn’t have taken the fight were he not healthy and ready to show his skills.

“That doesn’t concern me at all,” Garcia said of fighting Spence in Spence’s first bout since the accident. “At the end of the day, I’ve been training hard and I’ve been preparing myself for the best Spence. That’s all that matters to me. My job is to win no matter the circumstances.”

Spence is that rarest of boxers; a fighter who can do anything: box, punch or slug, even with the best in the game. Unbeaten in 26 outings, he’s scored 21 stoppages along the way, having beaten several top-quality men, among them Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia and Kell Brook.

Garcia will come in the smaller man, but he’s a smart, experienced boxer who will make Spence pay if he is in any way under-prepared for what is shaping as a compelling showdown.

“I picked Danny Garcia because he’s a tough opponent with a granite chin. He’s always in tough, close fights. He’s going to bring the best out of me,” said Spence at his recent virtual media workout.

“If I took a tune-up fight, I wouldn’t be as focused or dedicated as I am right now. I know Danny’s dad is pushing him to take my belts in my hometown. So I’m staying focused to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

No rival can compete with SuperSport’s coverage. Our viewers on DStv can see all see all the best boxing action from around the world. Visit www.dstvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream matches on DStv.

Broadcast details

Sunday 6 December

04:00 AM: World Welterweight Championship: Errol Spence Jr v Danny Garcia – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport Variety 1

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Wizkid is set to headline the Livespot X-clusive event on the 19th of December, and if we learnt anything from the last concert he did on YouTube, it’s that Wizkid sounds amazing performing live.

As we look forward to the Livespot X-clusive event, these are 10 songs we absolutely think The Star Boy should definitely perform

1. Smile (ft. Her) – to set the mood for everyone and put a smile on their faces even though everyone would be screaming.

2. Energy (ft. Skepta) – to clear the air of all bad energy or vibes as the party starts.

3. Ginger (ft. Burna Boy) – Since Burna Boy is the headliner for the next day’s performance he might decide to show up and assist Wiz with this.

4. Essence (ft. Tems) – this is my favourite song on the Made in Lagos album and I would love to hear it live.

5. Joro – there just is something about this song.

6. Dance For Me – it was hard choosing between this and Soco but I miss the old Wizkid.

7. Blessed (ft. Damien Marley) – this year has been rough but we thank God say God no shame us and in the end, we are too blessed to be stressed.

8. Pakurumo – this is evergreen and I have fond memories associated with this song. Also, there will probably be a bunch of Folakes, Funkes, Tolanis and Halimas in the crowd.

9. Ojuelegba – This is one of Wizkid’s best songs and it really highlights the mood of the year. We got through it and came out good in the end.

10. Lagos Vibes – there is no better way to close his performance than with this smooth song as an ode to Lagos and the Lagos life.

Honourable Mentions

These are other songs that I really really want him to perform. They are not in my Top 10 but he can mix them here and there.

Soco

Sweet Love

Jaiye Jaiye (ft. Femi Kuti)

On Top Your Matter

Come Closer (ft. Drake)

The post 10 Songs Wizkid Should Perform At Livespot X-clusive appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

The first season of MTN Y’ello Star is slowly coming to an end, and the game is fiercer than ever. The top six contestants left in the show are not leaving anything to chance as they are giving everything they’ve got on stage. They will gain a lot whether or not they win the show, but everyone wants to be the Y’ello Star.

It’s not only the contestants who are bringing the heat though, but the organisers also changed up the format of the show. Show hosts, Hilda Bacci and Tobi Bakre got their on-stage seats across the judges and made the biggest fuss about it. They were both very excited to be watching the show from the main stage rather than backstage, and they started the show on such a high note.

As always, Freeborn started performances for the night with a powerful rendition of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You.’ Award-winning artistes and Y’ello Star judges, Omawumi and Banky W both praised her for always singing with her heart at every point in the competition. They said their favourite performance by the songbird has been ‘Natural Woman’. Banky told her, ‘It’s an honour to sit here and be blessed by your voice at this stage of your journey’. 

Storm continued the thread of brilliance performances Freeborn started by performing a beautiful version of ‘My Distant Lover’ by Marvin Gaye. Malik Yusef told him that he loved watching his performance of James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’. For the first time in a while, he blew the judges away with his masterful blend of baritone and falsetto.

The super performer on the show, Dotti took things a notch higher with his cover of ‘One Note Samba’ by Antonio Carlos. His biggest fan on the show, Omawumi said it was difficult for her to pick one of his performances as a favourite since they were all close to her heart. Banky W and Malik Yusef also echoed the sentiment while heaping on praise for his performance that night.

Before her performance, Banky reminded Fay Fay Diamond that she’s the best and she should avoid getting in her head. She took the advice in stride as she performed a beautiful version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘All I Need To Get By’. This led to the judges giving her a standing ovation as she proved she was all they needed for the night.

Gideon, aka Gidi Bobo, made the judges proud as he killed his performance of ‘Always Remember Us This Way’. Caesar then rounded the all-round amazing night with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s ‘When You Believe’. His performance made Malik Yusef interject that he believed Caesar had a good chance of winning the whole competition.

During the judges’ chat, they discussed who should get the royalties for a song, the writer or the artiste. They concluded that there’s no one size fit all answer to the question, but a contract should determine such decisions. Banky-W then used the opportunity to talk about the existing structure of music in Nigeria and how royalties don’t exist in the industry.

After soaking up all the knowledge and good music for the night, Tobi and Hilda ended the show by reminding the fans to vote for their favourite contestants. Only Nigerians can decide who will be the MTN Y’ello Star.

Viewers can save their favourite contestants by sending ‘Vote’ alongside their unique numbers to 50061. Voting is only applicable to MTN and 9Mobile users at just N30 per vote. Voting begins on Sunday evening and ends on Wednesday night. Tobi Bakre and Hilda Baci will announce the excluded contestant and the top five at the next gala, which airs every weekend on stations across the country. 

The post MTN Y’ello Star Top 6 Go Head To Head In Race To The Finals appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Multi-platinum Afro-soul star Darey will be returning to the stage with live performances of his hit songs including songs from his latest EP – Way Home. The revered Nigerian artist will be joining Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Simi and others live on stage at Livespot X-Clusive on December 19 and 20, 2020.

 

The follow-up to 2015 project Naked, Way Home is a triumphant return that features seven tracks including recent singles ‘Jah Guide Me’, which went to #1 in the Nigerian charts and entered the Top 20 of the UK iTunes Charts, ‘Jojo’, the infectious summer party jam featuring reggae-dancehall artist Patoranking and ‘Show Me Love’, featuring fellow Nigerian star Teni, which has so far garnered over 1.3 million streams across DSPs.

 

“I’m excited that I get to do this again and on such a big platform – one I’m building with the fantastic team over at Livespot360. With the love the Way Home EP has gotten over the past few weeks and months, I can’t wait to share the experience live with my fans,” Darey explained. “For the first time in a few years, I get to combine my roles as Chief Creative Director of Livespot360 and artist on one stage and I’m beyond elated. Livespot X-Clusive is going to be an exceptional show and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

 

The son of legendary African jazz musician and entertainer Art Alade, Darey Art Alade aka Darey is a multiple award-winning artist and seasoned live performer who has shared stages with the likes of Beyoncé, Wizkid, Jay Z, Ciara, Cardi B, Burna Boy, Sean Paul, Usher, R Kelly, Akon, Lionel Richie and many more. His rich, diverse back catalogue has racked up millions of record sales and streams, helping him amass a loyal following across Africa and beyond.

Also a creative entrepreneur, Darey is the co-founder of Livespot360, a creative collective responsible for last year’s Livespot X Festival which saw Darey bring Cardi B to Africa for the first time as she headlined across its Lagos and Accra events.

In a company statement, Livespot360 revealed that the conception of Livespot X-Clusive was borne out of a need to end the year most emphatically.

 

According to CEO, Livespot360, Deola Art Alade, LiveSpot X-Clusive is the entertainment industry’s answer to a most-difficult year, marred by developments that have had striking effects on Nigerians:

 

“After more than ten months of hardship for so many people, we decided to take up the mantle to ensure Nigerians do not end the year in the same, monotonous fashion. In December, we plan to shake the core of music lovers through this epic concert, and we have acquired the services of the most-loved artists in the country to ensure that. As expected, this event will be planned with guidelines in place to ensure everyone’s safety, but we guarantee that it will be the most bombastic celebration this year. It will be a celebration we all deserve.”

 

The live concert will be limited to keep in line with COVID-19 restrictions. Fans and interested parties unable to secure tickets to the physical concert will still be able to watch the show live as Livespot360 also announced it will stream the event live on Livespot Nation.

 

Livespot X-Clusive is a brainchild of Livespot360, a creative collective of the digital era, unified by a passion for developing disruptive ideas. Combining digital marketing, experiential marketing, advertising, education and entertainment for the Nigerian audience, Livespot constantly pushes the quality and performance bar higher.

 

Visit www.livespot360.com to learn more.

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“The entire society needs to wake up to the fact that it is dangerous to let these Almajiri children remain on the streets.”- Mr Yakubu Lamal on Public Eye.

The post Funmi Iyanda Discusses Almajiri Child Rights On Episode 6 of Public Eye appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

The sixth episode of ‘Shoot Your Shot’ with Bisola Aiyeola had us in our feelings. Lilian Onyejekwe, a 23-year-old model and Mass Communications undergraduate finally summoned up the courage to confess her feelings to her crush, Emeka.

The two met at the mall a while back and it was love at first sight for Lilian. They struck up a conversation and ended up exchanging numbers.

And even though they kept in touch, the topic of dating each other never really came up. This was a bit confusing for Lilian because Emeka had told her on a number of occasions that he liked her. Well, as the saying goes, if the mountain won’t go to Mohammed, then Mohammed will have to go to the mountain.

Lilian decided to take things into her own hands by reaching out to the Shoot Your Shot team who helped her set up an intimate dinner to woo Emeka.

With the help of Bisola, they were able to lure Emeka to dinner.

Now Emeka, a 30-year-old fitness model, and the instructor have been in an unhappy relationship and have been looking for the perfect opportunity to break it off but he’s not looking to start a new relationship right away. So when Lilian poured out her heart to him, he told her as much.

Lilian was understandably heartbroken having gone the length to show him how she feels about him.

But just as she was beginning to think there was no hope for them, Emeka had a change of mind and said yes to her.

The episode ended with hugs, kisses, and a few tears of joy.

Shoot Your Shot airs on Africa Magic, DStv Channel 151 at 6:30 PM every Sunday!

The post Episode 6 Of Bisola Aiyeola’s ‘Shoot Your Shot’ Gave Us All The Feels appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Fans of the WWE can gear up for another thrilling week of action on SuperSport, with live airings of the NXT, SmackDown, and Raw shows running from Thursday 10 to Tuesday 15 December 2020.

The action begins on the morning of Thursday 10 December with WWE NXT Episode 594. Last week, the Grizzled Young Veterans were scheduled to take on Ever-Rise until Imperium stormed the scene, dismantling Ever-Rise in brutal fashion and leading to a match between themselves and Zack Gibson & James Drake.

The two teams fought an evenly matched battle in a bout that was too close to call until Ever-Rise re-emerged to attack both teams, then decided on a speedy exit after clearly drawing the ire of their new adversaries. How this three-way rivalry plays out remains to be seen.

Saturday 12 December brings Episode 1112 of WWE SmackDown. The simmering feud between SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and Carmella has culminated in a challenge for a title match at Tables, Ladders & Chairs later this month.

“There’s a reason we’ve never faced one-on-one: because I’m out of your league. Always been, always will be,” Banks told Carmella. “You want a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship? You have it. Me and you, one-on-one at TLC!”

Tuesday 15 December will feature Episode 1438 of WWE Raw. WWE Champion Drew McIntyre now knows that he will face AJ Styles in a title match at the Tables, Ladders & Chairs Pay-Per-View later this month, but he has also sent a warning across brands to Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

“First of all, it feels damn good to stand here, once again WWE Champion,” said the Scottish brawler. “Sometimes you have to get knocked on your a*** to find out what you’re truly made of. Roman, you know what I’m about now. Our paths are gonna cross again and you may have won the battle, buddy, but I can assure you I will win the war, and you can believe that.

“But that’s the past, we should look to TLC. First of all, there’s no beef with AJ and I. He wants to be WWE Champion… I am WWE Champion. This is a treat for the fans because that match will be phenomenal.”

Don’t miss out on all the WWE content on DStv. Visit  www.dstvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream the action on DStv.

WWE weekly programs broadcast details, 10-15 December 2020

Thursday 10 December
03:00 AM: WWE NXT Episode 594 – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 and WWE Channel 128

Saturday 12 December
03:00 AM: WWE SmackDown Episode 1112 – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 and WWE Channel 128

Tuesday 15 December
03:00 AM: WWE Raw Episode 1438 – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 and WWE Channel 128.

The post Unmissable NXT, SmackDown and Raw on DStv this week appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Good music, coupled with a great fashion sense is good business. Becoming a great artist and having healthy relationships with clients you work with is also good business. At a session with fashion entrepreneur Mai Atafo, MTN Y’ello Star contestants were schooled on the importance of building a powerful personal brand.

Stating that he started his career in marketing, Mai said that artists must be concerned about other aspects of their lives. In his words: “A lot of artists and creatives are unbothered about marketing and their brand. If you are not known for anything other than your core, you are heading for a disaster.”

Citing an example of Will Smith, who was a successful rapper and still went ahead to sing and act, he encouraged contestants to maximize their talents. He stated that brand positioning opens up more opportunities, greater than what is currently obtainable. There is a need to present oneself to be ready for other opportunities as they come

According to Mai, personal branding is not just about the clothes one wears, it is beyond that; it speaks to perception. Citing an example of Falz as a brand, who has been able to combine music, acting, comedy and all round entertainment. He has succeeded in carving a niche for himself because his personal brand is multifaceted. There are opportunities based on the way you personally brand yourself and portray
yourself.

He emphasized the importance of personal branding in providing multiple benefits such as enhanced visibility, distinguished presence from the competition, good reputation, generating trust and expanding one’s network of contacts as well as attracting more clients. He concluded by saying that it is important to continuously project a professional image in the way they show up and the conversations they have.

Y’ello Star is a trend-setting music reality project by MTN Nigeria, to create platforms for Nigerian youths to thrive and fully showcase their creativity to the rest of the world. Y’ello Star seeks not only to groom and give optimum exposure to musical talents, it also seeks to create an ecosystem that enables the Nigerian music industry to take its place as an important member of the global music industry.

The post Fashion Designer, Mai Atafo, Educates Y’ello Star Contestants on Personal Branding appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

The final six contestants on the MTN Y’ello Star music reality TV project emerged this weekend following the second round of evictions after last week’s bottom-five performances were put up to be saved by the fans.

Based on votes cast, only Storm remained in the competition while David Garland, G-Isaac, Jesse Drumz and the duo of Oiza and Meyi lost their right to performance, but remained in the hub to continue their education.

Earlier in the week, all the finalists, including the earlier relegated talents had a chat with the Regional Director, Creative Economy Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa at British Council, Ojoma Ochia who spoke to them about intellectual property and grant opportunities to support their music careers and help them spread their work beyond their home country.

They were also joined by the likes of renowned filmmaker Sesan, record label executive Paul Okeugo of Chocolate City, renowned OAP, Gbemi of Beat 99.9 FM, and ace fashion designer Mai Atafo, who spoke to them about general branding.

Saturday’s gala show marked the first appearance of guest judge, Malik Yusef who is in Nigeria for the 8th time and positioned to work closely with the top five finalists. Caesar kicked off the night’s performances with a delivery of ‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit and Zara,
followed by Freeborn’s performance of Khona by Mafikizolo & Uhuru. For each of the performances, the judges gave only feedback and pointers for improvement as scores and ratings would now be determined by fan votes. Gideon got the first reaction from guest judge Malik Yusef, who said he was on top of it and gave him a thumbs up. The night ended with Storm’s performance of ‘Get Up’ by
Sarz, DJ Tunez and Flash.

Just before the judges left things open to the fans, Omawumi reminded the finalists that “this is crunch time and you must bring your A game to this point to win.” Sunday night’s performances featured more soulful renditions from the likes of Freeborn who sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Whitney Houston, Caesar who performed Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe” and Gideon who delivered Lady Gaga’s ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ with a bit of his own style. The other three contestants also gave their own performances,
which the judges gave their feedback on.

Reacting to Storm’s performance of Distant Lover by Marvin Gaye, saved finalist, Banky W advised him to let go of the pressure and have fun, even as guest judge Malik admired his style saying his best performance for him remains James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’. Freeborn, Dotti and FayFay Diamonds also got great feedback from the judges.

While discussing music royalties in Nigeria, Banky W highlighted how much of an issue it still is in Nigeria as it is often determined by what is signed in the contract. “Some people decide to pay off everyone, while some others decide to give a certain percentage off”, he said. Malik added that it seems to be more organised in the US, as huge artists like Beyonce get a certain percentage of song royalties, even if the song is written by someone else.

Their conversation and feedback to the finalists wrapped up the night, opening the voting lines to fans to pick who their favourite finalists are. The show’s final two episodes will air next weekend, and the debut season’s winner will be announced. The winner will receive N5million in cash, a fully furnished house with in-house studio, a scholarship to attend a summer program at the Berklee College of Music, amongst other benefits. The show will air on Saturday and Sunday on Urban TV, Soundcity TV, Nigezie and Fashion TV between 6 – 7pm.

The post Malik Yusef Joins MTN Y’ello Star Judges As Final Six Contestants Emerge appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Formula 1 fans can look forward to the 17th and final round of the 2020 World Championship; the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, live from the Yas Marina Circuit on the afternoon of Sunday 13 December 2020.

The campaign is set for a thrilling finale and perhaps another surprise result, with Racing Point’s Sergio Perez claiming a first career victory when he capitalised on a pit-stop error from Mercedes at this past weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows mixed up their tyres in ‘stacking’ George Russel – who stood in for Lewis Hamilton due to his Covid-19 absence – and Valtteri Bottas in pit-stops at the start of a safety car period, possibly denying a fairytale win for the young British driver, who had to stop twice again to fit the correct tyres and then replace a set hit by a slow puncture.

“Overall for us, it was just a colossal f*** up,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said. “I’m not allowed to say that but it was. Simply put, one of the tyre crews didn’t get a call. We had a radio failure in the garage and when the car came in they didn’t know to change the tyres and had the wrong tyres. This is accidentally why we had the wrong set of tyres out.”

Perez was the delighted beneficiary, having put in a stellar drive considering that at the start of the race he found himself in last place after getting tangled up in an incident with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

“I am a little bit speechless,” said the Mexican, who took his first F1 race win in his 190th start. “I hope I am not dreaming because I dream so many years being in this moment – 10 years it took me, I don’t know what to say. Incredible; after the start I thought the race was again gone but it was all about not giving up and recovering. The luck has not been with us this year but we won the race on merit. Yes, the Mercedes had some issues but we had the pace to hold George.”

For the Abu Dhabi GP, all eyes will be on whether Russell continues to stand in for Hamilton (who will have to return negative Covid tests before he is allowed to return to the paddock), while Perez will hope to hold onto fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship after opening a 13-point lead over nearest chaser Daniel Ricciardo. On the Constructors’ Championship front, Racing Point have a 10-point lead over McLaren in the hunt to finish third, but Renault are also not entirely out of the running.

The race will also see a farewell for Kevin Magnussen, who – along with Romain Grosjean – will be released by Haas, while Abu Dhabi also presents perhaps the last chance Alex Albon will have to save his Red Bull seat – if it has not already been lost to Perez after his heroics this past weekend.

Visit www.dstvafrica.com and www.gotvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream live action on DStv.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix broadcast details, 12-13 December 2020

Saturday 12 December

1:55 PM: Qualifying – LIVE on SuperSport Motorsport

Sunday 13 December

02:05 PM: Race – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand and SuperSport Motorsport

The post Catch The Final Round of Formula 1 World Championship on DStv This Weekend appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Gabriel Afolayan is a brilliant actor. But he has had a lot to live up to. Before there was even the legacy of his brother Kunle Afolayan, there was Adeyemi ‘Adelove’ Afolayan, their father. This is his story, as told to Darafunmi Olanrewaju

Adeyemi ‘Adelove’ Afolayan

The first of the Afolayan actors, and the patriarch of the Afolayan family, Adeyemi Afolayan was an incredibly popular actor and producer. Departing from the traditional travelling drama groups (Alarinjo), made popular by Hubert Ogunde and Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala), Adelove was one of the early adopters of filmmaking in Nigeria. He followed the lead of the likes of Ola Balogun, who produced “Ajani Ogun”, with Adelove in the lead, and was one of the most commercially successful movies of the time. 

Adelove brought drama and flair to early Yoruba movies, being heavily influenced by Bollywood. He tended towards music, dance, fanfare and romance in his movies. Some of his classics include, Ija Orogun (produced by Ola Balogun), Kadara, Ija Ominira and Taxi Driver 1. 

Adelove’s movies were showcased and celebrated in several international film festivals across the world, including Rotterdam’s and BFI London Film Festival. Festivals that have also celebrated his son, Kunle Afolayan’s movies.

Perhaps Adelove got his nickname for being a ladies’ man. A husband to ten wives, Adeyemi Afolayan was definitely not lacking in love. He fathered 20 children, out of which three have followed in his steps, creating a career for themselves in the Nigerian film industry – Kunle, Gabriel and Aremu Afolayan.

Despite not living with his father while growing up, Gabriel remembers him fondly. “He was a totally loving Dad. Very protective.” 

“I once visited him at work in 1986 when he was directing “Mosebolatan”, a film produced by Baba Sala. I remember I followed him to Professor Pellers House, where I also met the young, now honourable Shina Peller for the first time.” 

Adelove passed on in 1996, at 56, following complications caused by a stroke. He departed the world fairly early, but his legacy still burns bright. By the time Gabriel Afolayan came into play, his father had already exited the stage. However, Kunle Afolayan was already getting ready to roll.

Kunle Afolayan’s debut role as Aresejabata in Tunde Kelani’s 1999 epic political movie -Saworoide, and his consequent success as a director, starting off with Irapada in 2006, almost beg the question, “why do we need another Afolayan?”

Though the Afolayan family is originally from Agbamu in Kwara state, Adelove practiced his craft in Lagos and that’s where most of his family lived. Gabriel was also born in Lagos, however his mother left Lagos for Ibadan shortly after his birth and it is there he grew up. 

Life, lessons and learning

Gabriel reveals that he has a close relationship with his mother who is a retired teacher, dancer and singer. “She is a major influence in my life. Everything I’ve come to understand about life, lessons and learning, it is from my mum. We lived in Ibadan together with my grandmother. She is my all.”

When Gabriel and his mother landed in Ibadan, their first stop was the home of the legendary Moses Olaiya, who had always been close to the Afolayan family.  “When I left Lagos in 1985, Baba Sala’s house was my first home. He was my dad’s best friend; in business and outside business. His wife “Karile” was my mother’s elder sister, so you can totally see the connection and why my performing career kicked from him.”

Often regarded as the grandfather of comedy in Nigeria, Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) had his comedy shows at the Agbowo Shopping Complex, opposite the University of Ibadan. Gabriel started out as a child actor in Baba Sala’s “Diamond”, in 1990. Moses Olaiya was an uncle that ultimately became a father to Gabriel, after Adelove’s passing. 

“He was literally a ‘Dad’. I grew under his wing. He taught me so many virtues and values. Much more in a Christian way. His life offscreen was emulative. He was a great human with a wonderful soul.”

The legendary actor and comedian died in 2018 and Gabriel describes his influence on his life as immeasurable. “He was a notable church leader, he never missed our early morning devotions. That was one of the platforms where my courage to speak publicly was harnessed. I lived life around him as a child while he accommodated my excesses.”

Reminiscing on growing up in the ancient city of Ibadan, Gabriel tells Netng, “It was a round experience growing up in Ibadan. I had my childhood, teenage life and some parts of adulthood there though.”

He goes on, “Like every kid on the block, I grew up having a curious mind. Always trying to find solutions to feats. I was communally raised. We were always in each other’s business and that gave birth to a lot of excitement, pains and gains. We lived in a neighbourhood around the “Coca-Cola” area called Amisu street, Oke Itunu not far from Mokola Ibadan.”  

Gabriel enrolled at the University of Ibadan, to study Theatre Arts, and it was there he met the film producer, Tade Ogidan, who had come to the University of Ibadan, to audition actors for his new movie, Madam Dearest. The two forged a close bond and Tade Ogidan will eventually become a mentor to Gabriel and cast him in the mold breaking role of Dosu in Madam Dearest.  

Through the casting and shooting of the movie, Gabriel kept his connection to Adelove to himself. “Uncle Tade did not know me in connection to my father. I attended the audition like every other aspiring actor. It took place at our ‘Arts Theatre’ in UI. I was freshly out of the diploma class and I think out of over 400 people that showed up, he was interested only in my performance”.

The then 20 year old Gabriel was cast in the role of Dosu, a Ghanaian houseboy, who worked for a rich couple on whom calamity falls. The husband (Akin Lewis) is sent to prison for a crime he did not commit, and his wife (Opeyemi Aiyeola) is forced to resort to extremities, in order to achieve her desire for a baby. The situation is made complicated when the wife’s friend, (Sola Sobowale), advises her to consider asking Dosu (Gabriel Afolayan) to get her pregnant. Dosu is caught in the middle of two powerful forces, loyalty to his boss who is in prison, and a sense of duty to his boss who wants to get pregnant. 

Gabriel’s performance in the movie quickly endeared him to fans. Madam Dearest is regarded as one of Tade Ogidan’s greatest works and a Nollywood classic. The movie was accompanied by an original album featuring the entire cast, one of the very few Nigerian movies to achieve this feat. With Madam Dearest in the bag for Gabriel Afolayan, the young actor had his path set.  

Following the success of Madam Dearest, Gabriel featured in a series of movies and soaps, including Ife Ewe in 2006 and Wale Adenuga’s Super Story, “Because You Loved Me” in 2007. 

Being deliberate 

It is clear that Gabriel is as selective as his brother in working on projects, but he says he is not underrated, he is only being deliberate. Taking long breaks in between projects is normal for the Afolayan brothers, as well as working on specific and defining works. 

Gabriel describes acting as sacred, “I believe acting is more of a calling than a profession. It is a sacred act. It is whatever you can make out of it in moments. If the ‘gift’ is to bless people then why put it on ‘irrelevancies?’ if it is good for people, people will be good to it.”

In 2012, Gabriel Afolayan combined both his passions again – music and acting – in “Hoodrush”, a musical thriller. Acting alongside Bimbo Akintola and O.C Ukeje, as Teviar, the slow, meek brother of hot tempered Shez (O.C Ukeje). According to Gabriel, “The story is great on many levels. Apart from the relatable life events of the two struggling ghetto superstar brothers, it packed a total theatre experience; acting, music and dance. All these elements made it great.” His performance in the movie earned him a “Best Actor In A Supporting Role” at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards, in 2013. 

Of all Adelove’s children that followed his path into filmmaking and acting, only Gabriel seems to channel his father’s versatility and passion for music. In 2012, Gabriel released Kokoro Ife (Love Bug), his debut single to critical and commercial success. He had recorded the song in 2011, “at a studio just up the stairs of my old apartment in Ojodu owned by a music producer called ‘Smyl’ but the track was produced by ‘MasterKraft’”, he tells Netng. 

Before releasing Kokoro Ife, Gabriel had spent time with other artistes and producers, honing his craft and working on his music. “Prior to [Kokoro Ife] I had done a track titled ‘Chapterz’ produced by DJ Klem of Knighthouse music owned by Gomez.” The conversation gets wistful here, as Gabriel takes a pause to reminisce on the journey that has led him to this point in life. 

Since its release in 2012, Kokoro Ife (Love Bug), has cemented Gabriel’s reputation as an artiste. He describes the project as a “yoke breaking track”.  

Taking a trip down memory lane, he reflects, “I trained a bit at ID Cabasa’s studio, located at Adetayo Oso street, Jibowu Yaba around 2009 to 2010. I know 2phat, Olamide (g-dog), Seriki, Kayefi, Ab1, Blacko blaze, 9ice, Jahbless.”

In 2019, he joined forces with Tade Ogidan again in “Gold Statue”, a story about a family’s search for what might be a valuable heirloom. For his lead role as Wale, he won the  “Outstanding Actor” award at the 2019 Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) and in the “Best Actor In A Leading Role” category at the 2019 Best Of Nollywood (BON) award.

Gabriel Afolayan’s catalogue reflects a varied and versatile selection of roles. In 2019, he shows off his flair for the unusual again in “Coming From Insanity”.  Kossi, (Gabriel Afolayan) an immigrant from Togo, who had lived his whole life as the domestic staff of a rich family in Lagos (reminiscent of Madam Dearest), sets upon financial freedom and many misadventures. The movie displays the interesting dynamics between all the characters, with Gabriel Afolayan providing the gravitational pull the entire time. 

Explaining his process, he says, “I love engaging stories. That is the criteria.” He goes on, “I’ll like to debunk the narrative that I’m ‘underrated’. I am not. I choose the work I want to be part of. The industry is aware of this.” A highly decorated actor, Gabriel is not lacking in nominations or award wins. 

Gabriel returned to Ibadan, the city that had given him so much, in 2018, to get married to his wife, Banke, in a star-studded ceremony that had Banky W, Adesua Etomi, Mo’Cheddah, Adeniyi Johnson, Tope Tedela, Wole Ojo, Tunde Demuren and others in attendance.

In 2020, Gabriel and his brother finally teamed up for Citation, directed by Kunle Afolayan. The actor always brings a candid and earnest element to his roles, and that was not missing in Citation. As the protagonist’s (Temi Otedola in her debut role as Moremi) love interest, Koyejo is the jealous boyfriend concerned about the burgeoning relationship between his girlfriend and Professor Lucien (Jimmy Jean-Louis), the supervisory lecturer from out of town. Koyejo’s fears would turn out to be valid when Moremi reports the professor for trying to rape her.

Temi Otedola has received high praise for her role in Citation and people are beginning to pay attention to the young actress and what she has to offer. “Working with Temi was quite easy because she came prepared. She left behind the cloak of ‘billionaire daughter’ and came to work like a true hustler who wants to make something out of herself. I respect her a lot. I describe her as ‘The lady from Pimlikle’. Na only her sabi the joke.”

Kunle Afolayan also makes a cameo appearance in the movie as Koyejo’s brother. Gabriel says he has always been a part of Kunle’s production process, and was comfortable working with his brother. “He calls me for script analysis most of the time. So I knew what was expected of me. It was fun working on this with him. A great pleasure.”

Gabriel describes his relationship with Kunle as “cordial”. Though they lived in different cities, the brothers were still able to spend time together during school breaks. They had known from childhood that they had a shared interest in films, just like their father. 

“We knew our bond as family would transcend to the film business. When we were much younger, anytime I visited them in Lagos, Kunle would take me out to the local cinemas within the neighbourhood to watch Indian films. From there, I could tell we both would end up filmmakers. because the attraction to cinematic experience was innate. I love him dearly.”

This talented actor, musician and now filmmaker has shown through his long and successful career that he can make a name for himself, and is a force to contend with. His craft may have come naturally to him, but he has honed his talent into a skill with discipline and study. His journey is just beginning. 

The post Gabriel Afolayan: Born by Adelove, Trained by Baba Sala, Mentored by Tade Ogidan appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Euphoria Christmas special; 1st seasons of Industry, The Third Day, For Life, Power Book II: Ghost; new season of The Good Fight.

EUPHORIA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: TROUBLE DON’T LAST ALWAYS | 7 December, first on Showmax

Zendaya became the youngest ever best actress Emmy winner this year for her Euphoria performance. Rue, a 17-year-old who returns home from rehab with no plans to stay clean, falls for the new girl in town, Jules (played by trans superstar Hunter Schafer). Euphoria also won 2020 Emmys for Original Music and Lyrics for All For Us by Labrinth, as well as Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic).

While we wait for Season 2, this special holiday episode follows Rue as she celebrates Christmas, in the aftermath of being left by Jules at the train station and falling back into old habits. Written and directed by series creator Sam Levinson, the episode will also feature Schafer and fellow Season 1 star Colman Domingo, who plays Ali.

The controversial adults-only teen show, which also earned Zendaya a 2019 People’s Choice Award for Favourite Drama TV Star, has an 8.4/10 rating on IMDb and an 82% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus says, “Euphoria balances its brutal honesty with an empathetic and visually gorgeous eye to create a uniquely illuminating series, held together by a powerful performance from Zendaya.”

INDUSTRY S1 | First on Showmax. Binge episodes 1-4 on 2 December 2020, with weekly episodes every Wednesday. Binge from 30 December.

Industry is an exhilarating dive into the world of international finance, as seen through the eyes of ambitious twenty-somethings struggling to secure their futures. The BBC-HBO series follows a group of young graduates competing for a limited set of permanent positions at a top investment bank in London. But the boundaries between colleague, friend, lover, and enemy soon blur as they immerse themselves in a company culture defined as much by sex, drugs, and ego. As members of the group rise and fall, they must decide whether there’s more to life than the bottom line.

From first-time creators – and former bankers – Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the eight-episode drama series lists Golden Globe winner Lena Dunham (Girls) as a director, with Bad Wolf (The Night Of, His Dark Materials) producing.

The show has already picked up five-star reviews from The Guardian and The Independent, who call it “a millennial Mad Men with plenty of swagger… the kind of thrillingly fresh series that only comes along once every few years, a drama that makes its rivals look tired and uninspired.”

THE THIRD DAY S1 | Mondays from 23:30 from 7 December, same day as M-Net. Binge from 11 January 2021.

Co-created by Dennis Kelly (Utopia), this tense mix of mystery, thriller and drama is divided into two parts: Summer and Winter. In the first half, one man (Oscar nominee Jude Law from The New Pope) visits a mysterious island off the British coast and discovers a group of locals intent on preserving their home at any cost. In the second half, a strong-willed outsider (Oscar nominee Naomie Harris from Moonlight) comes to the island seeking answers — but instead triggers a battle to decide its fate.

The cast also includes Oscar nominee Emily Watson (Chernobyl), Teen Choice nominee Katherine Waterston (the Fantastic Beasts films), and BAFTA winner Paddy Considine (The Outsider).

Time praised the six-part HBO thriller as “a riveting psychological thriller and a stunning showcase for Jude Law…eerily beautiful,” while The Guardian hailed The Third Day as “an enthralling, mesmerising experiment… truly, insanely, watchable… The hairs on the back of the neck leap to attention as first Law and, later, Naomie Harris enter an enclave of crazed beliefs, corn dolls, occasional kindnesses but chiefly Hatred of the Other.”

THE GOOD FIGHT S4 | Binge now

Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski in an Emmy-nominated role) and Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo in a Critics’ Choice nominated role) continue the fight for justice in The Good Wife spin-off series, The Good Fight.

Season 4 finds Reddick/Boseman/Lockhart navigating a very different landscape. After they lost their biggest client, ChumHum, and their founding partner’s name was tarnished, they were forced to accept an offer by a huge multinational law firm, STR Laurie, to be a small subsidiary. Suddenly all of their decisions can be second-guessed by the giant firm that is literally on top of them. While STR Laurie initially seem like benevolent overlords, we find Diane and her colleagues chafing at their loss of independence.

The Good Fight is currently at #20 on Metacritic’s list of the best reviewed TV shows of 2020. Nominated for Outstanding Drama at the 2020 Television Critics’ Association Awards, the seven-episode fourth season has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Decider calling it, “one of the biggest hidden gems on streaming… No longer simply a great legal drama, it is a wacky, indulgent, incredible work of art… In its triumphant fourth season, The Good Fight remains one of the best, and most insane, shows on television.”

THE BOLD TYPE S4 | First on Showmax | Binge now

The Bold Type follows the lives and loves of three young women who work at a fashion magazine. Beneath the glam, this forthright millennial-favourite drama series is a story of real friends sticking together, working their butts off and finding their way in the world as young adults.

Aisha Dee, Katie Stevens and Meghann Fahy have all been nominated for Teen Choice Awards as besties Kat, Jane, and Sutton respectively. Emmy nominee Melora Hardin (The Office) plays Scarlett’s former editor Jacqueline.

The third season ended on a bombshell, so we can’t wait to see how the women pick up the pieces.

The Bold Type has a 95% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8/10 score on IMDb, and has been nominated for seven Teen Choice Awards, including three for Best Summer TV Show, two Best TV Actor noms for Dee, and one each for Fahy and Stevens. Glamour calls The Bold Type “one of the most delightful shows on TV,” while The New Yorker says it’s “a show to warm a jaded heart.”

FOR LIFE S1 | Binge now

For Life was nominated as Outstanding Drama at the 2020 Black Reel Awards, where star Nicholas Pinnock was nominated for Best Actor for his performance as a prisoner who becomes a lawyer in jail and fights to overturn his life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.

Executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Power), For Life has an 86% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus says, “Guided by Nicholas Pinnock’s powerful performance, For Life eschews procedural pitfalls with a sturdy, empathetic script and an impressive ensemble to bring it to life.”

The cast includes Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Rome), Black Reel nominee Joy Bryant (Antwone Fisher, Parenthood), and MTV Movie Award nominee Mary Stuart Masterson (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Blindspot).

A MILLION LITTLE THINGS S2 | Binge now

Drama, comedy, romance and friendship come together in this story of a group of friends who are drawn together after a tragedy claims the life of one of their own.

A Million Little Things has an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an ensemble cast that includes David Giuntoli (Grimm), Allison Miller (13 Reasons Why), Christina Ochoa (Animal Kingdom), Teen Choice nominee Grace Park (Hawaii Five-0, Battlestar Galactica), and Romany Malco (Weeds), who was nominated for an Image Award for the role. Also look out for Emmy nominees Melora Hardin (The Bold Type, The Office) and Constance Zimmer (House of Cards, UnReal).

A Million Little Things has been renewed for a third season. USA Today hails it as “the pinnacle of feel-bad feel-good TV.”

POWER BOOK II: GHOST S1 | Binge the first five episodes from 21 December

Power Book II: Ghost picks up shortly after the earth-shattering events of Power (binge all six seasons on Showmax) as Tariq St Patrick (BET Award nominee Michael Rainey Jr.) grapples with a new world order: his father dead and his mother, Tasha (NAACP Image Award winner Naturi Naughton), facing charges for the murder her son committed.

Look out for Oscar nominee and Grammy winner Mary J. Blige (The Help, Mudbound), Grammy winner Method Man (The Deuce), Emmy winner Debbi Morgan (All My Children), Emmy nominees Sherri Saum (Good Trouble, Locke & Key) and Victor Garber (Alias, Argo), Screen Actors Guild Award winner Melanie Liburd (This is Us), Black Reel winner Woody McClain (The Bobby Brown Story), and Satellite Award winner David Zayas (Dexter, Deadly Class), among others.

Executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (who also produced Power and For Life), Power Book II: Ghost has already been renewed for a second season. “If you liked Power, you’ll like this,” says Decider. Which is more than enough for us.

HIS DARK MATERIALS S2 | Tuesdays, first on Showmax. Binge from 29 December 2020

New worlds await in Season 2 of epic fantasy series His Dark Materials, the BBC-HBO adaptation of Philip Pullman’s Carnegie and Whit bread-winning book trilogy, listed among Time magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, and the BBC’s 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels. The story follows Lyra, a young orphan, as she crosses between worlds on a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust, with the help of her daemon Pan and her alethiometer. Season 1 is based on Northern Lights; Season 2 on The Subtle Knife.

Critics Choice-nominated child star Dafne Keen (Logan) stars as Lyra, with Oscar nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) playing Lee Scoresby; Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (The Affair, Luther) as Mrs Coulter; and Golden Globe nominees James McAvoy (X-Men) and Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) as Lord Asriel and Colonel John Parry respectively, with Oscar nominee Terence Stamp (The Limey, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) joining the adventure this season as Giacomo Paradisi.

Wilson won Best Actress at the recent BAFTA Cymru awards, where His Dark Materials also took home Best Photography and Lighting as well as Best Production Design. His Dark Materials also won a 2020 Annie Award for the character animation on Iorek the Bear, as well as two 2020 BAFTA TV Craft awards for Special, Visual and Graphic Effects and Titles & Graphic Identity. In their five-star review of the fantasy show, The Independent says, “This is a beautiful, brooding vision of Pullman’s universe, which retains the mix of childish wonder and darkness that make his books so beguiling to young adults.”

THE UNDOING S1 | Mondays at 22:30, same day as M-Net. Binge from 4 January 2021

The Undoing stars Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, Moulin Rouge) as therapist Grace Fraser, whose idyllic existence is shattered by a violent death and a very public scandal. With her husband Jonathan (Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant from A Very English Scandal) missing, Grace must face a chain of terrible revelations and try to build a new life for herself and her son (Critics’ Choice nominee Noah Jupe from Honey Boy, Ford v Ferrari, and A Quiet Place).

Based on the book You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, The Undoing is created by multiple-Emmy winner David E Kelley, the man behind Big Little Lies, Picket Fences and all your favourite legal dramas, from L.A. Law to Ally McBeal, The Practice to Boston Legal.  Emmy winner Susanne Bier (The Night Manager, In A Better World) directs, with Academy Award Honorary winner and Golden Globe winner Donald Sutherland (Trust, The Hunger Games), Golden Globe nominee Edgar Ramírez (American Crime Story, The Girl on the Train) and Eswatini-born Noma Dumezweni (Black Earth Rising, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind) co-starring.

In their five-star review, BBC hails the series as “a supremely gripping marriage thriller… a twisty delight.”

P-VALLEY S1 | Tuesdays at 22:30, same day as 1Magic. Binge from 19 January 2021.

P-Valley is the 8thth highest rated new TV show of 2020 so far, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and set a new record on the Starz App for the most viewed series premiere ever.

As Rotten Tomatoes’ 100% critics consensus says, “A stunning, lyrical piece of neon noir, P-Valley explores the unseen lives of strippers in Mississippi through Katori Hall’s singular gaze, celebrating the beauty of the craft without sugarcoating the challenges.”

Indiewire hailed it as “unlike anything ever seen on TV…  the series knows exactly what it wants to be: a sexy, fast-paced drama that sets out to de-stigmatize the world of stripping and shatter misconceptions.”

Welcome to the Dirty South.

CLASSIC BINGES: THE AFFAIR AND DEXTER | Binge now

You can now binge all five seasons of the classic marriage drama, The Affair, which won three Golden Globes: Best Drama and Best Actress for both Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials, Luther) and Maura Tierney (E.R.’s Abby Lockhart), and eight seasons of serial killer drama Dexter, which won Golden Globes for lead actor Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) and supporting actor John Lithgow (Perry Mason, The Crown) – and was recently renewed for a Season 9, after a seven-year break.

EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX IN DECEMBER
Other international series you can binge this month include Season 2 of Tyler, The Creator’s Adult Swim animation The Jellies (from 7 December); Season 1 of Council of Dads, starring Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead, Prison Break); and Season 39 of Survivor – Island of the Idols – shot in Fiji, with legendary Survivor alumni Sandra Diaz-Twine (the only contestant ever to win Survivor twice, on Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains) and Rob Mariano (who won Survivor: Redemption Island) back as mentors.

The post The 11 best international series on Showmax this December, from Industry to The Third Day to Euphoria’s Christmas special appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

After the chaos and forced indoor staycation that we all had to endure because of COVID-19, having a December concert is a welcome event. Even more so because we get to see the African Giant himself perform live at Livespot X-clusive concert.

When Burna Boy dropped his fifth studio album, Twice As Tall, it was everything we expected it would be. It is amazing to see Burna Boy address societal issues, encourage young people, and walk us through his journey of success all in one album. 

Sticking to the essence of his Afro-Fusion genre, Burna took us on a journey of different styles of music from rock in ‘Monsters You Made’ to Afropop in ‘Way Too Big’, with his style strongly infused in every song.

With the lockdown eased up and health precautionary methods in place, we get to enjoy the energy and fun of live concerts again, and Burna is the perfect way to end your concert drought. For the first time, we’re going to hear Burna Boy perform songs from the Grammy Nominated album, Twice As Tall,  live in concert. Livespot X, the entertainment division of Livespot360, is bringing Burna Boy live in concert at Livespot X-clusive.

He is set to headline day one of the two-day concert on Saturday, December 19, 2020, and will perform alongside other amazing artistes like Darey, Yemi Alade, Mayourkun, Joeboy, DJ Cuppy and more. Livespot X-clusive will be a hybrid event with a few tickets (table tickets) for physical attendance. But you won’t miss a thing, the organisers will also stream the concert live for those who can’t make the physical event.

After all the stress of 2020, you deserve to close out the year in a perfect way; partying with the African Giant.

Tickets are on sale at www.livespotnation.com!

The post Burna Boy Headlining Livespot X Concert Is The Christmas Gift We Want appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

When album release dates are rolled out, fans’ excitement are usually centered around the artists they idolise. Only a handful are curious enough to ‘check the credits’ to familiarise themselves with other creative contributors. This is a reason many great composers, writers,
and producers tend to slip under the radar and barely get their dues.

Malik Yusef is one of those geniuses who lend their expertise to the most successful music projects in the world without fanfare. But beyond being a constant on some of the world’s most famous music stars’ favourite collaborators list, he is a man who is fulfilling his purpose.

A Chicago, Illinois native, Yusef was born Malik Yusef El Shabazz Jones on the fourth day of April, 1971. By the time he reached his teens, he had firmly solidified his feet in street life and had many lessons. He was, however, wary of the dangers of frolicking with gang members and
sought to rewrite his story through smartly crafted wordplays.

Yusef quickly found an easy way to document his street knowledge, gaining an impeccable mastery of poetry and spoken word. It was around this time that he forged friendship with hip-hop artist, Common. “I’ve been a poet since I was about 20 years old”, he says in an interview on The Scott Emo Show in 2012. “But I didn’t understand the musicality of it until I started being around my friends who were doing music, like Common. This was right after Tupac was killed. So I guess I had known that life a bit prior to that, [but] I didn’t do anything prior to being a poet besides street hustling”, he adds.

He also went on to familiarise himself with other budding stars from Chicago, including producer and rapper Kanye West, and they began working on a plethora of music projects together. Yusef’s first album, The Great Chicago Fire; A Cold Day in Hell, was released through Universal Records in 2003. The album, which was critically acclaimed and received moderate mainstream success, spurned the Kanye West and Common assisted single, Wouldn’t You Like to Ride. In 2009, he released his sophomore album, G.O.O.D Morning, G.O.O.D Night, under Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music.

Apart from his personal projects, Yusef's work sometimes include credited and uncredited contributions to major music productions and compositions for other artists. His notoriety in quality music production has made him a sought-after writer, producer, and composer.

Earlier on, he contributed in various capacities to fellow Chicago natives music projects, including Common’s My City, Carl Thomas’ Trouble Don’t Last Always, Kanye West’s Crack Music, Raheem DeVaughn’s Woman I Desire and many more.

He has made further contributions to Kanye West’s award-winning albums, such as Yeezus and the Life of Pablo, as well as Drake’s 2017 record Glow and Beyonce’s Sandcastles from the highly successful 2016 album Lemonade, and Snoh Aalegra’s Bad Things. Other artists who have tapped Yusef to contribute to their projects include Rihanna, Katy Perry, John Legend, Adam Levine, and Snoop Dogg.

These contributions have not gone unrewarded, Yusef has earned himself six Grammy awards from 12 nominations. And he has also toured alongside Jay-Z, Vic Mensa, Raheem DeVaughn, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, and many others. Despite his intimidating list of collaborators, Yusef has said in interviews that he would have loved to score a dream collaboration with late pop icon Michael Jackson.
“Are you serious? It’s Michael Jackson” he says to host Scott Emalfarb, when asked of his dream collaborator – dead or alive.

Yusef’s diversity in his craft has also seen him score movie projects. In 2007, he collaborated with director Frey Hoffman for a film adaptation of his poem, Hollywood Jerome, to critical success.

With his undeniable wealth of experience, the poet is now shifting his focus on another worthy challenge, having been announced as a judge on ICT company MTN’s Y’ello Star music project. As a judge alongside Nigeria’s own superstars, Banky W and Omawumi, Yusef will be
assessing and guiding prospective music stars on their journeys to stardom. By virtue of his status, he’ll be exposing the prospective music stars to the international music scene.

He will also be on hand to write a song with the winner of the competition, as well as join the writer at the Power Station in NYC to record and produce the song. Yusef says of his excitement for the competition, “I’ve been doing this for a long time [writing, composing, recording, producing]. I also know that it’s my responsibility to take care of the next generation. To pass this information down to the next generation and bring y’all into the industry like I was brought into the industry by people that were ahead of me. So I’m doing that.”

MTN Y’ello Star promises to reward the winner with 5m Naira cash prize, a brand new car, a fully furnished house with an in-house recording studio and recording contract among other benefits, including a scholarship to attend Berklee 2021 Summer Music Program at the Berklee School of Music for the top five finalists.

Beyond the competition, the show will also create a platform for talented individuals and help with capacity building in the music industry and the overall entertainment industry. Besides all of the unique benefits of the MTN Y’ello Star competition, there’s no bigger reason for contestants to get super excited about their participation than a rare opportunity to learn and work with the man, the myth, and the
legendary Malik Yusef.

The post Malik Yusef, The Street Hustler Who Became Music Superstars’ Most Sought-after Collaborator appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Since its launch in Nigeria in 2001, ICT company, MTN has continuously displayed its knack for innovation and value creation for its customers. Besides empowering and supporting the youth through a series of initiatives, MTN has continued to show its dedication to spearheading value creation in the entertainment industry.

MTN Nigeria is easily one of the biggest distributors of music in Nigeria. How does an ICT company become a top music distributor? The Nigerian entertainment industry is largely a self-starter industry, with Nigerians putting their skills and talents to creating value and a better life for themselves.

The telecommunications industry is also in a competitive space, so, when MTN needed to distinguish itself, it tapped into an area of great interest for the general populace – music.

CallerTunez – In 2008, MTN launched Caller Tunez, consequently creating the largest music distribution network in Nigeria at the time and an avenue for artistes to monetize their music. With Callertunez, MTN users could get access to a wide range of music by simply paying a
token. It became popular and by 2013, there were already 17 million subscribers on the platform, with over 12,000 callertunez to choose from.

Ambassadorship: MTN is also popular for leveraging on the popularity of Nigerian artistes to promote its brand. This has become a symbiotic relationship between the ICT company and Nigerian artistes. The artistes get major visibility from the MTN brand, and promote the image of the company. Several popular artistes have been MTN Nigeria ambassadors, including Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Davido, Falz and Praiz.

Talent shows – The music talent show, Project Fame, sponsored by MTN Nigeria, featured contestants from across West Africa. Launched in 2008, Project Fame ran for 9 years till 2016, and was hugely successful, creating superstars of participants. The show introduced some of
the biggest names in the Nigerian music industry t including Chidinma, Iyanya and Praiz.

Development of Classical Music– MTN Nigeria has through its Foundation, promoted the learning and practice of classical music in Nigeria. Since 2006, MTN Foundation has collaborated with MUSON School of Music, to sponsor talented young Nigerians to study at the
MUSON School of Music. Each year since 2006, MUSON graduates a minimum of 30 students fully sponsored by the MTN Foundation. This is an area of music not very popular in Nigeria, yet the company has stayed through to its ideals of brightening the lives of young Nigerians.

Through its Foundation, MTN has also affected the lives of future classical music scholars who might not have had the opportunity to learn and refine their talent. Many of the graduates of the MTNF-MUSON programme have become success stories.

Music Time – MTN launched music streaming platform Music Time! in 2019, with a unique payment structure. Users can listen to a wide range of music without subscription and internet access. They only pay for the time spent listening to music on the platform. Aware of the great interest Nigerians have in music, and the inability of some Nigerians to afford high internet rates, MTN flipped the payment structure.

By making listeners pay for music on the go, MTN synced the airtime payment model, which users are already familiar with on its music platform.

MTN Y’ello Star – This year, MTN launched Y’ello Star, a music reality project with a difference. With Y’ello Star, MTN is empowering Nigerian youths, by providing an opportunity for growth and talent discovery. This departs from the winner takes all structure of reality talent shows, by providing an equal opportunity for all participants to benefit from the many advantages of the project.

Y’ello Star judges include Banky W, Omawumi and multi Grammy award winning producer, Malik Yusef. The show is hosted by former Big Brother Naija housemate Tobi Bakre and actress Hilda Baci.

The post How MTN Became The Foremost Supporter Of Music And Entertainment In Nigeria appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.

Music talent shows are not new to the Nigerian entertainment industry. There’s been several through the years including Star Quest, MTN Project Fame West Africa, The Voice Nigeria, and more. Many of the current popular musical acts from Nigeria never won the reality shows they participated, yet they are still winners because they have used the exposure from the shows to advance their dreams.

These are top six Nigerian artistes with massive careers after a stint on music reality TV talent contests:

Omawumi: Omawumi Megbele was the first-runner up at the first edition of West African Idols in 2007. She was a runner up in a highly competitive year to Timi Dakolo. The lawyer turned singer has gone on to have a remarkable career. Omawumi has released three critically
acclaimed studio albums, and recently released ‘In Her Feelings’ EP. She has also dabbled into Nollywood, featuring in movies like ‘Inale’, ‘House of Gold’, ‘Make A Move’, and Netflix’s ‘Oloture’. She also has producer credits to her name, after she joined Waje as a co-producer on
their 2019 movie, ‘She Is’. Omawumi, who is still thrilling fans with her amazing voice since 2007 joins Banky W and Grammy award-winner, Malik Yusef as a judge on MTN’s Y’ello Star.

Niniola: Niniola Apata finished in fourth place at the sixth edition of Project Fame West Africa in 2013. She released her debut single, “Ibadi”, the next year which received positive critical reviews. In 2017, she solidified her place as the Nigerian queen of Afro-House after releasing “Maradonna”. She has released two studio albums since then, “This is Me” (2017) and “Colours and Sound” (2020). In 2019,

Beyonce sampled elements of “Maradona” in “Find Your Way Back” a song from her soundtrack album, “The Lion King: The Gift”. In April 2020, Niniola received her Grammy nomination certificate for her work as a composer on The Lion King: The Gift.

Darey: Dare Art-Alade participated in the 2004 edition of the Project Fame Academy in South Africa and emerged the second runner up. Darey has since become one of the most celebrated RnB singers in the country with hit songs like ‘Not The Girl’, ‘The Way You Are’, and ‘Pray For Me’. Darey has released five studio albums, including his recently released ‘Way Home’ album to critical acclaim.

Johnny Drille: John Ighodaro, appeared on the 2013 edition of MTN Project Fame West Africa alongside Niniola but he didn’t get very far. He left the competition in tenth position, but he didn’t let that stop him. Johnny Drille kept releasing music covers until his cover of Dija’s
‘Awww’ caught award-winning music producer, Don Jazzy’s attention. He released his debut song, ‘Wait for Me’ after Mavins Records signed him, and quickly proved that he is here to stay.

He is yet to release his first studio album, but he has racked up hits like ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Papa’, and ‘Halleluyah’.

Chike: Chike Osebuka first appeared on the 2015 edition of Project Fame West Africa and made it to the top 10 before disqualification. He applied the next year to ‘The Voice Nigeria’, where he eventually was first runner-up. He was immediately signed to Universal Republic with
the other top 4 contestants and released his debut single, ‘Fancy U’. Chike didn’t attain mainstream recognition until after his role as ‘Mayowa Badmus’ on Africa Magic’s Battleground in 2017. Riding on the wave of that success, he put out his sophomore single, ‘Beautiful People’ in 2018. He is now one of the most sought-after acts in the country after the massive success of his first studio album, ‘Boo of The Booless’ released earlier this year.

Praiz : Praise Ugbede Adejo was the second runner-up at the maiden edition of Project Fame West Africa. Praiz, who is also known as Mr Rich and Famous, has now released two highly acclaimed studio albums, ‘Rich and Famous’ (2014) and ‘King’ (2019), and a few other EPs. In
July 2020, he said goodbye to his former record label, ‘X3M Music’ to start his imprint, Cicada Music. He subsequently released a five-track EP ‘To The Moon’ under his label. The new EP features hip-hop heavyweights, M.I and Ice Prince.

A new music reality Project, MTN Y’ello Star has begun and it’s going to create more stars with the brightest future. MTN Y’ello Star is dedicated to ensuring adequate training in music, creative entrepreneurship and business incubation for contestants. MTN is on track to achieve this with their partnerships with leading global institutions such as Henley Business School, UK and Berklee College of Music, USA.

The post Six Nigerian Artistes Who Found Fame After Music Talent Shows appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.