About Me
- Funmi Iyanda
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Funmi Iyanda is a multi award-winning producer and broadcast journalist. She is the CEO of Ignite Media and Executive Director of Creation Television
Thursday, March 22, 2007
And the award goes to…
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Ayo Animashaun. Somehow, Nigeria has developed an award season around about the international entertainment industry award season. No surprise there. Between February and March some of the most publicized awards show are held in Nigeria. Look l come in peace so I’ll not go into the merits of the awards conferred and the frenzy for award giving. Suffice to say l have attended most of the major awards from beginning and as they get bigger, non is more exciting than HIPHOP magazine awards. The ethical and moral dilemma of magazines as watchdogs and judge is a discourse for another day but in my opinion HIPHOP awards is the best. This year due to poor health l missed Thisday and City people awards, l don’t do AMAA awards in Bayelsa, that’s like taking the Oscars to Oklahoma.
I usually find awards tedious and long winded with everyone trying to crawl far into their own arses or worse into an influential person’s arse. The lack of attention to detail, lack of theme and real content as well as the sheer disregard for time makes these shows more of a chore than honour.
Not so hip-hop awards. The debut edition last year was smoking. The energy, the creativity, the deliberate decision to be unapologetically brilliant. I hadn’t seen anything like that in Nigeria. I expect no less of course because l feel a kindred spirit with Ayo Animashaun who publishes the magazine. His is a long painful journey to well deserved success and HIPHOP magazine is one of the few magazines in Nigeria that l’ll willingly buy of my own volition. It has its own style and language, it is creatively and professionally packaged and it is bursting with content. This is true even though l am not a great hip-hop fan.
This year was bigger and richer in resources but it lacked the innocent brilliance of last year’s edition. The show was almost 3 hours late (late year late comers were locked out) and poorly coordinated without a real central theme or well articulated content.
That said, it is still in my opinion the best awards show in Nigeria. The security was good, the yellow (MTN was sponsoring) carpet was magical and the compeers were the lovely Tana and the crazy, sexy D bang who was absolutely mad and high on his own youthful adrenalin through out the night. His exuberance was tough to contain for Tana but she held her own.
I love that the bearded one Edi Lawani who is perhaps Nigeria’s most prolific technical event producer got a long overdue award and that Weird MC won the album of the year award, she has come a long way and to be herself in an environment like ours must take some real balls. She was understandably emotional.
All in all it was a good night.
Some of the awards pictures here
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13 comments:
I really wish I had been there. Nigeria is getting more glamorous sha. I really have to start going out more.
just read 'like taking the oscars to oklahoma' lol! now, that's funny.
...been looking for the pictures from the award..
thanks for the post...
you look great...
keep up the good work
nb: idowu's story really got me... i will really like to help....
Yeah I was theer too, and I felt the same way. A lot of money they didnt know what to do with. Even last year it was the same, they concentrated on the stage and the lights and the red carpet and it was low on content. If you really think back, you'll remember.
The only truly memorable thing was Dbanj; and Oh i loved that your dress babe!
Speaking about thought-out content, The Future Awards this year was MINDBLOWING! I am surprised you didnt mention it - though I dont remember that you were there? It was also hugely publiciced, as much as the Hip Hop Awards.
They are a group of young guys so they didnt have so much money, but they created an experience. When I remember the national anthem, i shiver. That was a much, much better show than the Hip Hop Awards or even City People for that matter. Thisday Awards was ok sha. But The Future Awards got it PERFECTLY right in terms of thought and content.
Welcome back sis!
FUNMI,MOST OF US DON'T GET TO GO TO AWARDS BECAUSE OF THE GATEFEES BUT, THROUGHT PEOPLE LIKE YOU WE GET TO KNOW AND APPRECIATE THE CEREMONIES.THANKS GOD YOU ARE BACK AND IN GOOD HEALTH. WELLCOME BACK SISTER! WILL LOVE TO MEET YOU ONE ON ONE VERY SOON. STAY BLESSED.
DELE GIRL(LADY).
Good 2 know u had a FAB time o..I watched last years on TV and it looked like so much fun...Naija is really moving forward...we thank God.
Whao! Three gbosas to Ayo. I remember when he just started HipHop magazine and he was bringing copies to Charmaine and me for comments. You remember Charmaine, right? Wonder where she is now and what she's doing. I'm so happy for Ayo. Please give him double high-five on my behalf when next you see him. Lovely pictures too. I feel your vibes. The stilettos made it. Of course they did. :)
@mystoriesmytestimonies, gee thanks, pls email funmi@newdawnwithfunmi.com for info on idowu. you can also join our change a life community by sending an email to that effect to same add.
@chioma adigwe, next time we are at an awards together, pls walk up to me so l can put a face to the vibe ok? We are obviously in agreement on this issue, although l thought the content was good last year, maybe l caught the best bits. l dont expect anything less from the future awards, Chude whose one of the trio behind the awards is like family to me, l took him under my wings from age 17. i am ridiculously pleased at his progress. With the awards, when they trully want me l will be there for them.
You should do amaa awards in bayelsa , maybe you will understand when you walk in to that hall,lagos is saturated why not explore your country welcome fumi iyanda to bayelsa!
well hope it was memorable and de honest got de awards
Funmi, I like your write up. Straight to the point, take home no prisoners. But, saying that taking AMAA to Bayelsa is like taking the Oscars to Oklahoma just did not sound right ... The AMAA awards was brought to life by the vision and generous thinking of the Bayelsa State government. Isn't it fair that it should hold in the state that supports the event? Also, the event is held in the state capital, Yenagoa, a fastest developing and growing city in Nigeria (rating by me). Bayelsa state happens to contribute over 80% of Nigeria's income from oil. So, most the splendor of Lagos and Abuja and the rest of Nigeria cames from Bayelsa State. Nigerians don't travel within their country. We have the tendency to look down on certain parts of our country. We see those places through the lives of the domestic helps we have had who come from there. Like you had an Ekaette or Okon has a house help growing up and from there on, you imagine everyone from Cross River and Akwa Ibom to be a house help or domestic staff with low education and low economic background. The young people of Yenagoa are pretty much like the young people who live in Lagos or Abuja. They are education, self aware, they dream big, they are well spoken, they aspire, and they know who they are and what they want from life. I think you should consider a trip around Nigeria. Nigerians who don't are missing out on the best things of being a Nigerian - the vastness, the richness, and the beauty of our diversity.
Thanks Aunty Funmi for giving those of us who weren't at the award a better picture of the glamours and the razzzmataz of the award.
Thanks God you are back and healthy.
I can remember when I was in primary school, I would go and buy cartons of sweets and I would start selling them just to make money. I was so much interested in business. Even at that time, I was very used to buying and selling. It is in my mind all through. I did that on a part-time basis. I usually bought packets of sweets and gave some people to sell for me. I would join them whenever I closed from school. I would collect my profit and give them something out of it. And we continued like that, "The family had many servants. So, some of them were selling things. I would say, 'Please, sell these for me' and he would sell and render accounts afterwards. That was what I was doing. It was not as if I established shops.""If you give me today $5 billion, I will not invest any abroad, I will invest everything here in Nigeria. Let us put heads together and work." "{Nigerians} can even be bigger than Aliko Dangote. The whole thing is that you have to really be very determined. You have to believe that, yes, there’s a future in this country of ours and I can tell you right now, I don’t believe we have even started doing anything in Nigeria because the opportunities are so enormous. I don’t even know where to start from.
If Aliko Dangote can make it,anybody can it even better than him.