MTV Africa Music Awards Debut – November 22

So, you're suffering from post-election withdrawal? Has the election that gave the US its first president of African descent left you longing for more of the democratic process?

Well, you're in luck. It's time to vote for your favorite African music for MTV's first ever African Music Awards happening November 22nd in Abuja, Nigeria.

The postponement of the Kora Awards from December of this year to April of 2009 has given MTV a perfect window through which to introduce their Mama Music Awards. The event also establishes another frontier on which MTV Base is challenging competitor Channel O, whose Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards happened just last month.

Prior to the awards show, an all-star concert tour will visit Kinshasa, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Lagos beginning this week.

So you probably want to know the nominees:

Best Female Artist
Wahu (Kenya)
Asa (Nigeria)
Dama Do Bling (Mozambique)
Sasha (Nigeria)
Zonke (South Africa)

Best Male Artist
Jua Cali (Kenya)
2Face (Nigeria)
D’Banj (Nigeria)
DJ Cleo (South Africa)
HHP (South Africa)

Best Live Performer
Samini (Ghana)
D’Banj (Nigeria)
P-Square (Nigeria)
Cassette (South Africa)
Jozi (South Africa)

Best Group
P-Square (Nigeria)
Freshly Ground (South Africa)
Jozi (South Africa)
The Parlotones (South Africa)
East African Bashment Crew (Uganda) - Bebe Cool and Necessary Noize

Best Alternative
Buraka Som Sistema (Portugal)
Goldfish (South Africa)
Seether (South Africa)
The Parlotones (South Africa)
Coldplay (UK)

Best Hip-Hop Artist
9ice (Nigeria)
HHP (South Africa)
Professor Jay (Tanzania)
Lil Wayne (USA)
The Game (USA)

Best R&B
P-Square (Nigeria)
Akon (Senegal / USA)
Loyiso (South Africa)
Alicia Keys (USA)
Rihanna (USA)

Best Artist of the year
Asa (Nigeria)
D’Banj (Nigeria)
P-Square (Nigeria)
HHP (South Africa)
Seether (South Africa)

Best New Act
Kwaw Kese (Ghana)
Wahu (Kenya)
9ice (Nigeria)
Naeto C (Nigeria)
Da L.E.S. (South Africa)

Best Video
Movaizhaleine (Gabon) – Nous
Ikechukwu (Nigeria) – Wind Am Well
P-Square (Nigeria) – Roll It
Freshlyground (South Africa) – Pot Belly
Pro Kid (South Africa) – Uthini Ngo Pro

Listener's choice award
- Jax Panik (South Africa) - ’Cigarettes and Cinnamon’
- D’Banj (Nigeria) - ’Why Me’
- Naakaya (Tanzania) - ’Mr. Politician’
- JB Mpiana (DRC) - ’Zadio Kongolo’
- P Unit Featuring DNA (Kenya) - ’Una’
- Toniks (Uganda) ’Beera Nange’
- Ofori Amponsah Featuring Samini (Ghana) - ’Odwo’

The winners of the MTV Africa Music Awards will be unveiled at The Velodrome, Abuja, on Saturday, 22 November 2008 and broadcast on MTV base (DStv Channel 322, GTV), partner networks and terrestrial channels RTGA (Democratic Republic of the Congo), TV3 (Ghana), NTV (Kenya), AIT (Nigeria), STV (Nigeria), TBC (Tanzania) and WBS (Uganda), from 29 November 2008.

How to vote for your favorite musician
To vote for your favourite artist or video, please go to mama.mtvbase.com. Music fans with WAP/GPRS enabled phones may also vote at m.mama.mtvbase.com (standard internet charges apply). Voting closes on Tuesday 18 November 2008.
For details of SMS voting go to mama.mtvbase.com.

So get out the vote in support of your favorite artists.

Related posts:

1. Rock Africa – November 14th
2. Vote Now for CNN Hero Yohannes Gebregeorgis
3. Miriam Makeba, 1932 – 2008