The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mega

  • MEGA: Nominees’ unveiling holds October 21

    MEGA: Nominees’ unveiling holds October 21

    After eight weeks of rigorous screening, the National Nomination Committee of the Music and Entertainment Gospel Awards (MEGA), in association with the Body of Judges, has fixed the date for the release of the pre-nomination list for the MEGA 2014 ceremony scheduled to hold on Friday, November 14.

    The pre-nominated works can be voted for by members of the public on different platforms and social networks controlled by the organisers in 31 categories. The public voting (PV) starts from Saturday, August 30.

    In a release, the organisers said: “This stage of the awards shall focus on 57 CDs (for album and medley categories) and 53 singles. The breakdown of the public voting (PV) listing shows that there are seven categories for singles; three for medleys; eight for ‘solo performances’; six genres and seven main categories. It is hoped that Nigerians will embrace this initiative and vote massively such that their preferences may have some influence on the Judges’ final decisions.”

    The public voting, the organisers further stated, is designed to dovetail into the nominees’ unveiling ceremony slated for Tuesday, October 21. The unveiling, where the final four nominees in each category will be announced, is expected to be covered live by top radio station and MEGA-partner, Raypower 100.5FM at a yet-to-be announced venue.

    Lovers of Nigerian music are encouraged to visit the website, www.megawards.org, for full details (including names, songs, criteria and definitions), listen to the pre-nominated works and start voting for their favourite artistes and songs. Also, interested Nigerians can vote using the following platforms: FB: www.facebook.com/MEGAwards andTwitter handle: @ tweet_megawards.

     

     

     

     

  • MEGA: Nomination Committee screens entries

    MEGA: Nomination Committee screens entries

    AS the organisers of the Music and Entertainment Awards, Nigeria’s premier gospel music awards, are warming up for the second edition of the awards ceremony scheduled to hold at The Haven, GRA Ikeja, Lagos on Friday, November 14,the  Nomination Committee has begun work on screening hundreds of songs entered for this year’s event.

    According to the organisers, the submission of entries, which ran from March 17, to June 14, witnessed over 100% increase from last year, particularly in the Singles category.

    In a release, celebrated journalist, publisher and author, Femi Akintunde-Johnson, who is also the Coordinator of the 2014 MEGA’s Central Working Committee (CWC), said: “We hope to empanel the Body of Judges by the end of July – they are to take over the screening from the Nomination Committee; after which, the pre-nominated shortlists shall be released for Public Voting (PV) which accounts for 10% of the final aggregate percentage.”

    Driven  by the  vision, flair and robust interest in the positive development of Nigerian entertainment, he further said that Footprints Pub & Media Ltd., an integrated communications outfit (the awards’ executive producer), in the conception, articulation and management of the awards, had evolved a unique relationship with different stakeholders within the Nigerian music community so as to “protect, preserve and maintain the independence, integrity, stability and continuity of the MEGA in perpetuity.”

    “In collaboration with the 2014 Central Working Committee (CWC) , a volunteer group of extremely committed and highly successful professionals has taken up the assignment of entrenching a truly comprehensive and highly regarded reward system for the country’s gospel music industry,” he said.

    Akintunde-Johnson, who is famously called FAJ, further said that though the organisers don’t encourage posthumous awards, they have resolved to recognise the enormous contributions of the late Nollywood movie maker and director, Amaka Igwe, in “berthing the awards on the rock of MEGA.”

    Consequently, he said: “We, therefore, endow the Music Video award ceremony in her name -in the likely absence of the Gospel Movie categories this year.  We also pray for fortitude and divine strength for the families and friends of the first winner of MEGA Best English Medley winner, Kefee (Mrs. Don-Momoh) who left us few weeks ago. May their souls find eternal rest in His bosom.”

    In the release, the respected journalist also lamented the seeming apathy towards gospel music in Nigeria. Worried by the number of artistes who, according to him, are wasting away for lack of adequate and sustained exposure and appreciation, he said: “Our media, as if by collective indignation, consign stories, airplay and programmes that have any hint of “gospel” to weekends – often only Sundays. This attitude is largely influenced, we believe, by the belief that “gospel music” needs to be “helped” until it acquires the quality and prevalence of mainstream music. How awfully wrong!”

    He added that the forthcoming awards ceremony would further satisfy the yearning for the promotion and celebration of “genuine messengers of the Word and their up- and-coming successors.”

  • MEGA: Organisers extend deadline for submission of entries

    MEGA: Organisers extend deadline for submission of entries

    The organisers of the Music and Entertainment Gospel Awards (MEGA) have announced that submission of entries for this year’s awards will now close on June 14.

    In a release signed by Femi Akintunde-Johnson, Founder, MEGA, the two-week extension was necessitated due to “tremendous pressure and increased late interest in meeting the submission deadline.”

    Following this development, all gospel musicians, producers, movie makers, label owners and marketers are, therefore, urged to submit their albums, medleys or singles released between May 1, 2013 and April 30, via www.megawards.org  or “Request” to megawards2013@gmail.com.

  • Sammie Okposo, Buchi others for MEGA 2013

    Sammie Okposo, Buchi others for MEGA 2013

    THE 2013 edition of Music and Entertainment Gospel Awards, MEGA, will hold at the Haven Event Centre, GRA Ikeja, Lagos come Friday, November 8. Out to recognise and celebrate outstanding performances and exemplary talents in the Nigerian gospel music community, MEGA has Footprints Ventures as its Executive Producer.

    According to Femi Akintunde-Johnson, coordinator of the awards, MEGA has been endorsed by the Gospel Musicians’ Association of Nigeria, GOMAN, and several other sections of Nigerian entertainment.

    “We know that countless Nigerian artistes are wasting away for lack of adequate and sustained exposure and appreciation. It is to this onerous task that we have invited many of our professional colleagues, associates, stakeholders and allied practitioners to join us in creating a solid pedestal that will recharge our artistes to give more of their talents and craft in the exaltation of the Most High,” Johnson said.

    He revealed that after months of rigorous and time-consuming screening exercise by a three-tier process of identifying the best music our people have on display, nomination letters into all the 24 award categories have started going out to recipients across the country.

    “Four nominees have emerged in each category after scaling through the Screening/Nomination Committee. The Body of Judges (BoJ) include veteran music producer, composer and technocrat, Mr. Laolu Akintobi (aka Laolu Akins); pioneer gospel singer and music administrator, Rev. Ekpeyong Bassey (Karis Band); ex-Artiste & Repertoire Manager of EMI/Ivory Music and missionary, Evang. Tolu Gaye; music buff and GMD of Cosse Ltd., Mr. Funmi Onabolu, and young music minister and recording artiste, Mr. Uche Chikwendu. The entire screening process was coordinated by singer/coach/tutor and daughter of music legend, Gloria Rhodes,” Johnson revealed.

    The event, he said, features artistes like Sammie Okposo, Buchi and Sola Allyson, among other entertainer.

  • Moses to sign in Chelsea’s mega store

    Moses to sign in Chelsea’s mega store

    Super Eagles ace, Victor Moses and Chelsea’s two other latest signing, Eden Hazard and Cesar Azpilicueta will appear in the Stamford Bridge Megastore on Friday 23 November.

    The Nigerian, who joined the club over the course of the summer, will be appearing between 4.30-5.30pm to sign copies of The Official Chelsea Annual 2013, and supporters are advised to arrive early in order to avoid disappointment.

    Moses, meanwhile, was the hero of Chelsea’s 3-2 Champions League victory against Shakhtar Donetsk last week when he came off the bench to head home a last-gasp winner.

    Hazard has enjoyed a solid start to his Chelsea career, featuring in every game thus far and scoring three goals, including a memorable strike in the 4-1 win over Norwich City.

    Azpilicueta has been gradually eased into the side by Roberto Di Matteo, but the Spanish right-back has played the full 90 minutes in our last two league games, including a decent display against Liverpool last Sunday.

  • Ondo Mega rally: Court remands five ACN members.

    The Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure has ordered five Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] supporters in Ondo State to be remanded in prison custody. They were arrested from different locations after ACN rally in Ondo, the home town of Governor Olusegun Mimiko and accused of conduct likely to breach peace and assault.

    The six accused, Jimoh Adebiyi, Ojo Gbenga, Joseph Ogah, Samson Otugbo and Oyewole Gabriel, however, denied the allegation. Applying for the bail of the accused, Akure lawyer and right activist, Titiloye Charles who led the ACN legal team urged the court to take judicial notice of the old age of the 4th and 5th accused persons who are 66 and 67 years old.

    He said they could not have conducted themselves in riotous manner and presumes the accused person innocent pending trial.

    The Attorney General of Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede represented by Taiwo Olubodun took over the case and opposed the bail application. The presiding Magistrate F. A. Akintoye ordered the accused to be remanded in prison till 0ctober 18. Earlier, there was a mild drama in court when a Press Officer [PO] from the Governor’s Office started using camera to film Charles and his clients. The lawyer demanded to know why camera was deployed to court and asked whether it was to intimidate lawyers and the judiciary.

    The PO apologized and stopped the video coverage of court proceedings. He claimed to be from the office of the Governor. Lawyers present in the court decried the judicial intimidation taking place in the state.