Africa's foremost urban music channel, Channel O announced the nominees for its prestigious 9th Annual Music Video Awards at The VIP Room, Michelangelo Towers in Sandton last night (Friday, 31 August 2012).
 
Spread across 14 categories, this year’s Channel O Music Video Awards are a showcase of Original.African music – befitting to the music channel that has steadfastly flown the flag for Africa’s musicians and music for well over a decade.
 


“The quality of this year's nominees is testament to the way music videos are playing an increasingly important role in the promotion of African music. Some of the nominees are newcomers and this proves that there is no barrier to making an impact on the African music scene. The impressive videos among the nominees have also contributed to cementing Channel O's reputation as the current leader in music television on the continent and we look forward to taking African music to the future!,” says Solly Moeng, Head of Programming.
 
Now in its ninth year, the Channel O Music Video Awards is the only public-voted annual music video awards show broadcast around the continent that exclusively features African artists. Starting in 2004 with an event at M-Net’s Johannesburg offices, the annual Channel O Music Video Awards has grown to be the Original.African channel’s signature event. 2012 will see the awards taking place on Saturday, 17th November at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, bringing the Channel O Music Video Awards to Soweto for the first time.
 
With five nominees in most of the genres as well as regional categories and 10 in the running for the prestigious Most Gifted Video of the Year title, Channel O’s viewers can now have their say by voting in the biggest public-voted music awards event in Africa.
 
This year voting will take place across a wide suite of digital platforms – from SMS [artist voting code to the number +27 83 920 8406. Standard SMS rates apply] to MXit, Web [awards.dstv.com/channelo] and Wap. Facebook voting [http://www.facebook.com/channelotv] is also now possible, opening up voting to the whole continent and underlining where the pulse of Africa’s youth lies!
 
Among the leading multiple nominees are Kenyan hip-hop hotshots, Camp Mulla, who have matched their Flight of the Fish Eagle – Naturally Supreme Most Gifted Newcomer Video and Most Gifted African East Video nominations for “Party Don’t Stop” (featuring Collo) with a high-profile nomination in the Most Gifted Video of the Year category for the video for “Fresh All Day”.
 
The latter video also sees Camp Mulla in contention for the Most Gifted Duo, Group or Featuring Video category where they are up against a powerful pack of artists – South Africans MiCasa (“Heavenly Sent”) and Liquideep (“Still”) as well as Zimbabwe’s Buffalo Souljah ft Cabo Snoop (“Styra Inonyengesa”) and Nigerian popstars, P Square (“Chop My Money” featuring Akonand Mayd).
 
Another newcomer earning more than one nomination is fiercely indie and genre-defying South African artist, Toya Delazy who matches her Flight of the Fish Eagle – Naturally Supreme Most Gifted Newcomer Video nomination for “Pump It On” with one for Most Gifted Video of the Year. Delazy and Camp Mulla are joined in the Flight of the Fish Eagle – Naturally Supreme Most Gifted Newcomer Video category by Nigeria’s Davido (for “Dami Duro”), Ghana’s E.L. (“Turn The Lights Down”) and South Africa’s Donald (“I Deserve”).
 
Two of the most closely watched categories at the annual Channel O Music Video Awards are traditionally Most Gifted Male Video and Most Gifted Female Video – and this year is no different.
 
In 2012, one of the awards' leading nominees, South Africa’s Khuli Chana is in the running for Most Gifted Male for his video “Tswa Daar” featuring Notshi – a video that has also seen the rapper earn nominations for Most Gifted Hip Hop Video and Most Gifted Video of the Year. Going up against Khuli Chana for Most Gifted Male are Angola’s Big Nelo with “Sente O Beat”, South Africa’s Pro with “Makasana”, Nigeria’s D’Banj with “Oliver Twist” and Tanzania’s Ay for “Speak With Your Body” featuring Romeo and Lamyia.
 
Most Gifted Female Video is likely to prove as hotly fought as its male counterpart.
 
Leading the charge is multiple nominee, Mozambique’s Lizha James with her video “Leva Boy” featuring Perola. James, who is also in the running for Most Gifted R&B Video and Most Gifted Video of the Year, faces competition from Nigeria’s “Tiwa Savage” with “Love Me Love Me Love Me”, Nigeria’s Mo’Cheddah featuring Phenom with “See Me”, Uganda’s Keko featuring Maddraxx with “Make You Dance” and breakout South African star Zahara with her megahit “Loliwe”.
 
Voting opens midnight on Saturday, 1 September for fans to have their say on who should take the ultimate crown in African music. It closes at midnight on Thursday, 8th November.
 
Voting is available on these platforms:
SMS: artist voting code to the number +27 83 920 8406. Standard SMS rates apply.
Web and WAP: awards.dstv.com/channelo/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/channelotv
MXit: Download the MXit app to your phone and go to TradePost -> Music -> More Channels -> Channel O
 
The 2012 Channel O Music Video Awards official hashtag is #CHOMVA12.
 
Channel O. The #1 music video channel on DStv.