THE 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards took place on Saturday night at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, hosted by Bonang Matheba. It was a big night for Nigerian musicians as Wizkid walked away with three major awards namely: Artist of the Year, Best Male and Best Collaboration, while co-host, Nigeria’s Yemi Alade took home Best Female, while Tekno was named Best Breakthrough Act.
South Africa also fared quite well as Cassper Nyovest picked up Best Live Act, while Emtee was deemed Best Hip Hop and Caster Semenya got the 2016 Person of the Year as Hugh Masekela was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kenya didn’t disappoint either, as Sauti Sol got the award for Best Group.
Again, Patoranking featuring Nigeria’s Wande Coal got the Song of the Year in partnership with Google with “My Woman, My Everything”.
The Video of the Year went to “Niquer Ma Vie” – Youssoupha (Congo), directed by Antony Abdelli & Jose Eon, while the Best Pop & Alternative went to Shekinah & Kyle Deutsch (South Africa) as the Best Francophone went to Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast).
The Best Lusophone was C4 Pedro (Angola); the Personality of the Year in association with DSTV was Caster Semenya (South Africa) and the Legend Award went to Hugh Masekela.
The Best Collaboration in partnership with ABSOLUT: DJ Maphorisa feat. Wizkid & DJ Buckz – “Soweto Baby” (South Africa/Nigeria), while Africa Reimagined was Vivian Onano and Mary Taedzerwa, as the Best International was Drake (U.S.A.).
It was a night of music and celebration as Soweto Gospel Choir gave a hearty rendition of Korede Bello’s ‘Godwin’ at the opening, while Kwesta turned up the heat with his hit single as Stonebwoy brought some reggae flavour to the show.
Comedian AY decided to give Minnie Dlamini a quick performance before announcing the winner of the ‘Best Live Act’, Cassper Nyovest as Patoranking, dressed in a Jamaican inspired outfit took to the stage to perform ‘My woman, my everything’.
Fashion designer Sheba announced the Best Female in Africa as Yemi Alade, and Alade, who won for a second year in a row, performed with her ‘Azonto’ freestyle, backed by drummers and dancers.
Also, Nigeria’s Falz performed ‘Soft work’, while Ycee performed ‘Jagaban’.
The MTV Africa Music Awards, also known as the MAMAs, was established in 2008 by MTV Networks Africa, now Viacom International Media Networks Africa, to celebrate the most popular contemporary music in Africa.
The Award was conceived and created by the SVP and MD of the MTV Networks in Africa, Alex Okosi.
Earlier, African artists had been included in the MTV Europe Music Award, where MTV Base Africa viewers voted for Best African artist in the 2006 and 2007[1] MTV Europe Music Awards.
The first awards show was held at the Velodrome in Abuja, Nigeria on Nov. 22, 2008 and was broadcast around the world on Nov. 29 in conjunction with Airtel and local television channels in Africa.
