Submission opens for Africa Comedy Awards

Novus International Business in partnership with ULIVE Africa, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, has announced plans to host the maiden edition of The Africa Comedy Awards (The AfriCAs). The comedy show will be the first of its kind and will serve as a platform for commemorating the achievements of comedians all over Africa.

Ahead of the event, organisers have called for entries and comedians from around the continent are invited to submit their nominations between May 23 and July 6, 2018. While successful nominees will be announced July 13, winners will be unveiled at The Africa Comedy Awards billed for August 26, at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Lagos is the home to several comedy clubs, arts and craft markets, nightclubs and so much more. It is a melting pot for various vibrant cultures making it the perfect place to launch this exciting award. The AfriCAs was created to celebrate and honor the accomplishments and contributions of Africa’s talented and successful performers and content creators of comedy across the continent and in the diaspora, while highlighting creativity and excellence. It aims to ignite comedy’s potential as an instrument for socio-economic growth and community development.

The theme for AfriCAs 2018 is #DefineYourFunny, which spotlights the different ways comedy appeals to people, showcases the diversity of African comedy and honors the incredible talent and passion it takes to make people laugh and a way of uniting Africa through comedy.

The Awards would be divided into three broad categories: Honorary Award, Performance and Content creation. The call for entry accepts eligible entry for all categories and nominees will be selected by a board of jurors from different African regions, with highly relevant comedic credentials and exposure to the African media industry.

Bayo Fatoba, Manager of the ULive Africa and New Business division of Universal Music Group said, “We are excited to be introducing this event into the market. Comedy as an art form is vast and provides content for all media platforms and is huge in Africa. Through all the various adversities, scarcities and economic recessions, one thing that unites us in Africa and connects us to the world is comedy. Africans are resilient people, we have the ability to smile and laugh through our pain.”

Abdulqadr Otaru, creator of Novus International noted, “The aim of this annual event is to reward the very best talent and professional excellence demonstrated by African comedians, actors and writers across the continent and in the diaspora. Through this event we hope to bridge the disconnect between the different African countries, uniting Africa as a whole irrespective of what part you come from.”