Ugandan is set to host Africas biggest music awards, the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs).
MTV made the announcement on Wednesday and said the event will take place on February 20, 2021. The Kampala presentation will be the first-ever live-streamed virtual MTV Africa Awards. It will also be the first time that the awards will be held in Uganda.
The awards ceremony will feature vibrant performances from leading African and international artists and will also showcase some of the biggest cross-genre and cross-border collaborations.
The event will celebrate African talent across 20 award categories, including Best Male, Best Female, Best Song, and Best Collaboration. The contribution of artists from Portuguese and French-speaking Africa will also be recognized in the Best Lusophone and Best Francophone categories
The ultimate celebration of local African and international talent and achievement, MAMA 2021, in partnership with Uganda, The Pearl of Africa, recognizes and rewards musicians, trailblazers and those who are shining a light on the continent’s diverse talent and creativity by instilling positive impact on African music and youth culture over the previous year.
Additional new categories included are the MAMA Generation Change Award, Best Fan Base, Alone Together Best Lock-down Performance and Personality of the Year. These new categories seek to demonstrate MTV Base’s commitment to supporting the youth of Africa. The MAMA Generation Change Award will recognize the inspiring, young changemakers of the continent who are tackling some of the world’s most challenging social problems.
The Alone Together Best Lock-down Performance recognizes outstanding performances that took place virtually by celebrating artists who took to streaming services to share their music and unite society during the unprecedented 2020 Lockdown.
The news was revealed yesterday, November 26, 2020 via a virtual press conference broadcast from Johannesburg and Kampala by Monde Twala and Craig Paterson, Senior Vice Presidents and General Managers at ViacomCBS Networks Africa (VCNA), The State Minister for Tourism, Godfrey Kiwanda at Ugandan Ministry of Tourism and the CEO for the Ugandan Tourism Board, Lilly Ajarova.
The engaging Q&A discussion included accomplished Ugandan artist Bebe Cool, highly skilled songstress Sheebah Karungi together with talented South African rapper Nasty C.
Commenting on the announcement, Monde Twala, Senior Vice President & General Manager, VCNA said, “It is an incredible honour to announce that the seventh MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 will be hosted by the vibrantly diverse Uganda, The Pearl of Africa for the first time on February 20th, 2021. We are excited to bring this amazing showcase to audiences across the continent and globally with an innovatively re-imagined awards show and celebration.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, content production has embraced innovation as the new gold and we are excited to take Africa to the World and showcase its immense talent and culture as we stage the biggest music awards show on the continent.”
“The MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 is brought to you by Uganda, The Pearl of Africa in an effort to promote tourism, wildlife and cultural heritage conservation for the socio-economic development and transformation of Uganda. Sustainable tourism, wildlife and cultural heritage will contribute to transforming Uganda into a modern and prosperous nation. Craig Paterson, Senior Vice President & General Manager, VCNA, continued, “The latest edition of the MAMA promises to be our biggest and most innovative yet.
Millions of fans worldwide will enjoy the digitally re-imagined celebration and African music via multiple broadcasts globally. We are excited to partner with Uganda to bring viewers a unique format and experience that positions Africa’s diverse heritage and digital innovation.”
Always celebrating the pan-African scope of the MAMA, the awards will encompass three pulsating Road to MAMA broadcasts featuring MAMA nominees from across the continent. The MAMA Kampala 2021 brings the much-anticipated music industry workshops in a virtual format for the continent’s aspiring musicians, youth upskilling and development.
First staged in 2008, the MTV Africa Music Awards has recognized the talent of musicians, achievers and personalities from across Africa, rewarding iconic artists and game-changers such as 2Face Idibia, AKA, Anselmo Ralph, Big Nuz, Cassper Nyovest, Clarence Peters, Cabo Snoop, Davido, D’Banj, Diamond Platnumz, Flavour, Gangs of Ballet, HHP, Fally Ipupa, Liquideep, Lira, Lupita Nyong’o, Mafikizolo Nameless, P-Square, Sarkodie, Tiwa Savage, Toofan, Trevor Noah, Uhuru, Wahu, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Zebra & Giraffe and many more.
The MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 will broadcast on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and MTV (DStv Channel 130) on February 20th 2021. The show will also be aired on MTV channels across multiple continents as a one-hour MAMA-themed MTV World Stage feature.
