Lagos to Host MTV Africa Music Awards

Lagos in Nigeria has been selected as the host city of this year's MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs).

It will be the second time in three years that the awards have taken place in Nigeria, following the inaugural MAMAs, which was held in Abuja in October 2008.

The most populous city of Africa's largest country will play host to nominees and performers on Dec. 11 at the EKO Expo Hall, Johannesburg-based MTV Networks Africa announced today (Aug. 25).

MTNA also announced a partnership with Bharti Airtel, a global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa based in Gurgaon, India.

Andre Beyers, chief marketing officer, Airtel Africa said his company's support for this year's awards was founded on "our commitment to empower the youth through initiatives that will help Africa to identify and celebrate talent."

In announcing the sponsorship deal, Beyers and Alex Okosi, SVP and managing director, MTV Networks Africa, said exclusive MAMAs-specific mobile and data content (including downloads) would be made available for the Airtel subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Entries are open to artists who have received airplay on MTV Base or MTV from June 30 2009 to Aug. 31 2010. Nominees are expected to be announced in the last week of October. Voting will then be open to the public via a mobile-site (mtvmama.mobi) and a website (www.mama.mtvbase.com).

The 2010 MAMAs feature 12 categories including best male, best female, best video, best group, artist of the year, best anglophone act, song of the Year, best international act and MAMA Legend.

Best lusophone act and best francophone Act have also been added to the categories, giving recognition to Portuguese and French-speaking artists working on the continent.

The inaugural MAMAs took place in 2008 in Abuja followed by last year's event in Nairobi, Kenya. Past winners include 2-FACE (Nigeria), Nameless (Kenya), Samini (Ghana), Wahu (Kenya), HHP (South Africa), D'Banj (Nigeria) and Patricke-Stevie Moungondo (Congo Brazzaville).