Nas, Freshlyground storm Nigeria for Soundcity Music Video Awards on April 11

Guys you'll never wonder what I stumbled on today, happy reading!!!!! Popular American rapgster, Nas is set to arrive Nigeria for the inaugural Soundcity Music Video Awards. The reputable crooner will be supported by South Africa’s wave-making Freshlyground and Ghana’s Tic Tac; and together, they would help fulfill Soundcity’s reputation of adding value to life with the power of music by staging an exceptional, potentially incomparable Soundcity Music Video Awards. Already, D’Banj, Asa, P Square, Faze, Jimmy Jatt are amongst the leading contenders for laurels at the SMVA 2008, with the highest number of six nominations recorded to DJ Jimmy Jatt, and five each to the trio of Asa, Faze and D’Banj. The Nominees list shows the viewing preferences of Nigerians from the previous year till date; and the entries were adjudged on the criteria of: originality, style, creativity, expression, and graphic quality. According to the chairperson of the Awards Screening Committee, Mr. Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, also Head, Creative and Research of the Silverbird Group, the fourteen categories to be recognized and rewarded include the Best Male Video; the Best Female Video; the Best Duo/Group Video; the Best R&B/Pop Video; the Best Hip Hop Video; the Best New Artiste; the Best Video Direction; the Best Special Effects/Editing; the Best Cinematography; the Best Choreography; the African Video of the Year; the Soundcity Fresh Video; Soundcity’s Viewers’ Choice; and the Best Overall Video. JAJ said the categories of the Awards extend to every popular genre of music as appreciated all over Nigeria and indeed across Africa. It also will reward the producers and directors, who work behind the scenes to produce the videos that have put Nigeria on the global front. “Soundcity is reputed to produce the best music and music-related events in Nigeria, and the Soundcity Music Video Awards will be no exception, with the best of recognition, reward, and first-class entertainment. Indeed, the SMVA will be the exceptional music video awards in Nigeria to recognize the efforts of artistes and video producers and directors whose strengths and abilities have been able to put Nigerian and African music videos on a global pedestal”, said Mr. Tajuddeen Adepetu, Chief Executive Officer of CMA, Soundcity’s parent company, and Executive Producer of the Awards. “As you very well know, Soundcity is your 24-hour urban lifestyle channel, dedicated all the time with music videos, lifestyle content and interactive programming that is influenced by the viewers; and it is a medium that represents a repertoire of encompassing music videos - as far as it is music and it is good to someone’s eyes as it is to the ears; and we’re evidently the most qualified to stage this kind of Awards in compliance with the international best practices we’ve established for our brand over time”, he added. Giants of the World’s Corporate landscape, MTN, Unilever, Guinness and Virgin Atlantic are amongst the supporting the Soundcity Music Video Awards, and have consequently put their brands, MTN XTRACOOL, Guinness Extra Smooth, Unilever's Close Up toothpaste behind the talk-of-the-town Awards. According to Miss Shileola Obisesan, Senior Brand Manager of the Consolidated Media Associates, and Awards Sponsorship & Marketing Director, “this will possibly be the biggest entertainment event to be held in Nigeria in 2008; it will be one Awards in the history of Nigerian entertainment that nobody will wish to forget in a hurry; and we can never be grateful enough for the sponsorship consideration we are getting from MTN, Unilever, Guinness, Virgin Atlantic, and indeed other behind-the-scene supporters on this project.” “Evidently, Soundcity, Nigeria’s first and foremost 24-hour music, entertainment and lifestyle channel has become Nigeria’s most-watched, most-admired, and perhaps most-copied music television channel in Nigeria, and we’re delighted to be taking it all a step further with the support of our esteemed sponsors”, she added. The much-discussed Soundcity Music Video Award ceremony holds at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre from 4:00p.m., non-African time on April 11, 2008, and is expected to have all the glitz, glamour and quality entertainment synonymous with Soundcity. The ceremony will also feature a one-of-a-kind Red Carpet event, as part of the Awards which will be hosted by the delectable duo of D’Banj and Ashionye, and transmitted across Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, and indeed to some parts of Europe. The crème of the increasingly fledging Nigerian Music industry is united in ensuring ample entertainment, as never before witnessed in any Awards ceremony, even if as far as Nigeria is concerned. Already, the Mo’Hits Crew, the Storm All Stars, P Square, Plantashun Boiz, QuestionMark All Stars and the MUSON Philharmonic Orchestra have been confirmed amongst the groups performing alongside Nas, Freshlyground and Tic Tac. The Soundcity Music Video Awards is the fourth of the exceptionally different events promised the stakeholders last year, in addition to the Soundcity Campus Blast, the Soundcity Annual Blast Party, and the Soundcity Club Blast – all three of which have already been successfully delivered.