African music celebrated at star-studded 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards

ON a night that a host of live performances celebrated African music at its most electric, young, gifted artists from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, and Uganda were named winners at the 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards.

Host and performer on the night, Nigeria’s Banky W proved his huge appeal when his track featuring M.I., Feeling It took home the Most Gifted R&B Video award, earning him his first Channel O Music Video Award. And hotshot South African star AKA didn’t leave the awards empty-handed when his video for Victory Lap was named Most Gifted Hip Hop Video.

The award for Most Gifted Female Video was won by South African songbird, Lira for Phakade – a first for the all-rounder and a fitting accolade for another African artist who is poised for success in the USA and other markets in the coming years.

The hotly contested Most Gifted Newcomer category saw Nigeria’s Ice Prince at the winner’s podium for his graphics driven Oleku, featuring Brymo, while the multi-artist collaboration Born For This featuring HHP, Teargas and Liquideep earned the Most Gifted Duo, Group or Featuring Video award – a tribute to the spirit of collaboration that is becoming increasingly evident amongst African artists.

In the genre categories the winners were spread across the continent - providing a brilliant showcase of the diversity and range of talent that makes up Africa’s contemporary music scene.

Ghana’s Samini walked away with Most Gifted Ragga Dancehall Video for Dadiekye, while South Africa’s Theo was named winner of Most Gifted Afro Pop Video for Ukhona. Namibian artist The Dogg – who won Best Newcomer in 2007 and Best Kwaito a year later - shone in the Most Gifted Kwaito Video category, earning his third Channel O Music Video Award for his track This Is My Time. Top-selling Nigerian artist Darey’s Ba Ni Ki Di took home the award for Most Gifted Dance Video, adding to his Channel O Music Video Award collection which began in 2006 when he won Best R&B Video and continued in 2009 when he won Most Gifted Male Video and Most Gifted R&B Video.

The regional categories also drew strong contenders in 2011 but eventually the Most Gifted African Southern Video went to Liquideep for Settle For Less – a year after the duo took home the award for Most Gifted Dance Video. Most Gifted African East Video was awarded to the collaborative track How We Do It (Remix) featuring Keko, Radio and Weasel while Most Gifted African West Video winner was Naeto C’s 10 Over 10, taking his total Channel O Music Video Awards to three.

D’Banj was honoured for his work as a multi-talented performer as 2011’s Special Recognition Artist, putting him in the company of previous Special Recognition Winners K’NAAN and the late Brenda Fassie.

D’Banj, who was recently signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music record label, also walked away with the award for Most Gifted Male Video (for the remix of Mr Endowed featuring Snoop Dogg) at a star-studded event held in Johannesburg on Friday, 11 November and broadcast live on Channel O, DStv Channel 320. This brings D’Banj’s Channel O Music Video Awards wins to five – a run that began in 2006 when he was named Best Newcomer and includes his win for Most Gifted Afro Pop in 2010 as well as his award for Best Special Effects in 2007.

Finally it was left to the host country’s own Zakes Bantwini to prove the attention around him is no hype when Wasting My Time was named Most Gifted Video of the Year.

The 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards,  is Africa’s most long-standing, credible public-voted music awards event. Tune into DStv’s Channel O on Sunday, 13 November at 18:00 CAT for the Red Carpet show followed by a repeat broadcast of the 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards.