Kenya will host the second MTV Africa Music Awards on Oct. 10, 2009. The announcement was made in Nairobi by MTV Networks Africa and telecommunications company Zain, which is again the sole sponsor of the pan-African awards.
The inaugural MAMAs took place in the Nigerian city of Abuja in November 2008, and honored winners in 11 public-voted categories including best alternative, best hip-hop, best R&B, artist of the year and best video. The Abuja event featured live performances from a mix of international and African stars, among them the Game (U.S.), Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 (Nigeria) and HHP (South Africa).
The 2009 ceremony will take place in front of an audience of 5,000 people at the Indoor Arena, Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi. It will be broadcast to audiences in sub Saharan Africa from Oct. 17 via DStv, Daarsaat, WBS, TV3, AIT, STV and TBC.
“It will subsequently air to a potential TV audience of 1 billion people on all MTV networks around the world, including MTV2 in the U.S.A.,” MTV Networks Africa revealed in a statement.
“The MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain is a global platform that highlights the passion, impact and creativity of Africa’s best contemporary artists,” commented Alex Okosi, SVP and managing director, MTV Networks Africa. “As a vibrant and influential cultural hub, the city of Nairobi will form a brilliant backdrop to the MAMA Awards and ensure that the second edition of the Awards will be a truly unforgettable experience.”
Although the value of their 2008 sponsorship has not been revealed, Zain is again on board for a multi-platform, multi-territory sponsorship of the MTV Africa Music Awards. The Bahrain-headquartered telecommunications company claims to be the fourth largest mobile network in the world in terms of geographic presence with a footprint in 23 countries spread across the Middle East and Africa, providing mobile voice and data services to 63.5 million active customers.
“The 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain promises to be the highest profile music event in the history of the East African region,” said Mwambu Wanendeya, Zain Group communications director for Africa, in a statement. “Zain is proud to play our part in bringing this inspirational salute to African music excellence to music fans in Africa and around the world.”
