Tanzanian artist, Witness has been nominated in the Most Gifted Female Video category with her song ‘Attention Please’.
May I kindly request that we give her all the support she needs.

Africa’s most gifted set to take flight with 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards
Africa’s most gifted musicians are set to take flight with the just-announced nominations for the 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards, sponsored by MTN.
Like the pan-African vision of the channel that spawned the awards the nominees in this year’s Channel O Music Video Awards are confirmation of the exceptional music talent that is being created in so many parts of Africa . From Hip-Hop to Dancehall; from Kwaito to Afro Pop; from Ghana to Angola ; from Namibia to Kenya - and so many other countries and music genres! - it’s impossible not to be impressed by the nominees in this year’s event and what they say about the healthy state of Africa’s contemporary music scene.

“What’s especially pleasing this year is the reach of the nominees,” says Yolisa Phahle, Channel Director of M-Net’s Special Interest Channels. “It’s great to see a country like Angola make its presence felt and there is a strong showing by artists from Ghana and Kenya as well. It’s now up to the artists and fans to mobilise in order to secure votes for the music videos that they believe deserve the honour of a Channel O Music Video Award. In the end, it’s the fans who decide who walks away with the statuette.”

In total, the 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards are spread across 14 categories – with five nominees in each category, except Most Gifted Video of the Year which features six nominees. After his high profile in the recent 2010 FIFA World Cup it’s no surprise that Somalian-born rapper, K’Naan, is one of the leading nominees this year with three nods. His video for “T.I.A.” has earned him a nomination in the Most Gifted Video of the Year category as well as for Most Gifted Hip-Hop Video and Most Gifted Male Video. The latter category is likely to be hard-fought and alongside K’Naan, it features Nigeria’s Wande Coal (“Bumper To Bumper”), Nigeria’s Banky W (“Strong Thing”), Botswana’s Zeus (“Champagne Music”) and South Africa’s Black Coffee (with the video for “Juju” featuring Bantwini).

Also notching up three nominations is Nigeria ’s M.I. whose video with Djinee – “Safe” – has ignited the continent-wide career of the rapper. Alongside Most Gifted Video of the Year, “Safe” sees M.I. in the running for Most Gifted Newcomer and Most Gifted Duo, Group or Featuring. Watch out too for Djinee, M.I.’s collaborator on the track, who is also a contender for Most Gifted Newcomer with the video “Overkilling”. Other nominees in this closely-watched category – designed to honour Africa’s emerging talent – is Mozambique’s Gabriela with “Mina Nawena”, and two new South African talents: Octave Couplet and Hydro with “Do Ur Thang” and L-Tido and T-P’s “Calling”.

Mozambique features strongly in this year’s nominees list with Gabriela and Dama Do Bling (“Casar Com Outra”) up for Most Gifted Southern Video. Their compatriot Lizha James represents Africa ’s gifted female artists in the Most Gifted Video of the Year nominees list and her song with Loyiso – “Vou Te Atacar’ – has also earned the Mozambican a nomination for Most Gifted Female Vide
Most Gifted Female Video additionally has Nigeria ’s Mo’Cheddah featuring Othello (“If You Want Me”), South Africa ’s Thembi Seete (“Free”), Kenya ’s Witness (“Attention Please”) and Nigeria ’s Kenny Saint Brown featuring Da Grin (Turn Me Around”). In a poignant confirmation of his rising talent, the late Nigerian rapper, Da Grin – who was tragically killed in a car accident in April this year – also features as a nominee in the Most Gifted West Video category with his hugely popular song “Pon Pon Pon
Ghana’s D-Black and Kwaku-T are another leading contender with their video “Breathe”. It’s up for Most Gifted Video of the Year and Most Gifted Hip Hop Video. Samini also represents the West African country in the category Most Gifted Ragga Dancehall Video with the video “Sweet Mistake” whilst Ghana ’s Jon Germain is in the running for a Most Gifted R&B Channel O Music Video Award with the video “In My Head”.
Another nominee for Most Gifted R&B is Anselmo Ralph whose “Domesticado” flies the flag for Angola along with Big Nelo whose “Hoje E Surra” is up for Most Gifted Dance Video.
Alongside these nominees, there are plenty of others who have earned multiple nods including Kenya ’s Nameless whose collaboration with Hadiba “Sunshine” is up for Most Gifted Afro Pop and Most Gifted East Video.
The 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards are set to take place on Thursday 4 November at the Sandton Convention Center , Johannesburg in South Africa .
Voters can have their say by voting via SMS [SMS the artist code to the number [+27 83 920 8406], on the web (www.mva.channelo.tv) or on their mobile phones [channelo.tv or on MXiT].