The 2021 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs), which was scheduled to hold in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, has been postponed, organisers have announced.
MTV Base Africa in a tweet on Thursday night made the announcement through its official twitter account @MTVBaseAfrica, saying “MTV Base is postponing the 2021 MTV Africa Music Awards. We will keep fans updated as we have more news.”
This year’s awards ceremony, which was being organised through a partnership between MTV Base and Uganda’s Ministry of Tourism, was scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 20, with performance from leading African and international artistes.
MTV Base Africa did not give reason(s) for the decision but Ugandan musician-turned-politician and opposition leader, Bobi Wine in a news conference following MTV Base’s decision, said, “it was painful to see that MTV was being used to sanitise the oppressive regime here in Uganda.”
“I am glad MTV is also seeing it and acting in respect of all the rights of artistes. It will be such a shame for the MTV Music Awards to be held in Uganda under gunpoint,” he added.
The Kampala edition was set to be the first-ever live-streamed virtual MTV Africa Awards due to complications arising from the coronavirus pandemic and also, the first time the awards would be held in Uganda.
The awards was first held in 2008 in Abuja, and last held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2016. It was also held East Africa, precisely Nairobi, Kenya in 2009.
Meanwhile, voting is still ongoing and the public could vote via the awards’ official website.
Top Nigerian artistes and comedians such as Tiwa Savage, Adenkule Gold, Naira Marley, Wizkid, Simi, Burna Boy, Mark Angel and others have been nominated into various categories of the awards.
