MTV Music Awards postponed

LOCAL musicians who were nominated for the MTV Music Awards (Mamas) will have to wait a bit longer before they can know whether they won or not after the event was cancelled yesterday.

Sha-Sha-born-Charmaine-Mapimbiro

The Mamas were set to be held in Kampala, Uganda on the 20th of this month with Grammy-award winning hip-hop producer, DJ Khaled hosting the show. Amapiano signing sensation Sha Sha, who is based in South Africa, and Bulawayo-based hip-hop star Asaph were the two local acts in the running for the awards. Sha Sha, who won the Viewer’s Choice Best New International Act at the Bet Awards last year, was nominated for the Breakthrough Act at the Mamas.

The Tender Love hitmaker was going against Elaine, Focalistic, John Blaq, Omah Lay, Tems and Zuchu, who were also nominated for the gong. Asaph, who had a 2020 to remember especially with his hit single Like So/Mhoroi, was nominated in the Viewers’ Choice category where he was up against Focalistic of South Africa, Tiwa Savage (Nigeria), Malome Vector (Lesotho) and RayVanny (Tanzania).

“MTV Base is postponing the 2021 MTV Africa Music Awards. We will keep fans updated as we have more news,” MTV Base said on social yesterday. While the music television station was non-committal on the reasons behind the cancellation, there are allegations the awards had been plagued by controversy over the recent Uganda presidential elections.

Long-time ruler Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, won another term of office after defeating his nearest challenger, musician-turned politician, Bobi Wine. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, alleged rampant electoral fraud and intimidation from Museveni and the various State apparatus.

In the run-up to the elections at least 50 people were killed in Kampala following protests after Wine had been arrested. During the campaign trail, Wine’s campaign team were allegedly beaten up, arrested or even killed by suspected security forces. Wine’s legal team is said to have issued a 50-page report collating allegations of apparent abuses, human rights violations, and irregularities relating to the January 14 polls.

“It was painful to see MTV was being used to sanitise the oppressive regime here in Uganda,” Wine said during a news conference. “I am glad MTV is also seeing it and acting in respect of all the rights of artists. It would be such a shame for the MTV Music Awards to be held in Uganda under gunpoint.”

When asked whether the decision to postpone the awards had anything to do with the alleged human rights abuses, a communications director at Viacom, MTV’s parent company, said “We have
nothing further to add,” when asked for a comment by CNN. By Anesu Mirisawu