The music industry is abuzz as telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has launched a high-stakes talent hunt, the Next Afrobeats Star (NAS) — a bold new music reality competition designed to uncover and catapult the next big Afrobeats talent to global stardom.
To unearth the fresh talents and propel the genre to new heights, the company is tabling a $100,000 prize, alongside other exciting rewards. The electrifying competition promises to shake up the Afrobeats scene, drawing aspiring artistes from far and wide.
With the Afrobeats’ global popularity soaring, the MTN NAS initiative is perfectly timed to capture the imagination of music enthusiasts and industry stakeholders alike. The media unveiling which was held at the MTN Rooftop Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, came almost 20 months after it failed to take off as planned.
In January, 2024, Ultima Studios announced NAS, a pop-culture talent discovery show to begin in April 2025, but the project was botched due to lack of sponsor and support from stakeholders. This year, it received the backing of the telecom outfit, MTN Nigeria, in partnership with Ultima Studios and ONErpm.
Speaking during the unveiling, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, said: “Next Afrobeats Star is a bold initiative to discover and elevate the next global icon of Afrobeats. At MTN, we believe in progress, not just as a brand stance but a purpose.
“We believe that every Nigerian, regardless of background, location, or education, deserves a chance to be connected, seen, heard, and celebrated. That is why we are taking this message to every corner of Nigeria, from the bustling cities to the most remote villages so that no youth is left behind, because talent knows no boundaries, and neither should opportunity.”
Executive Producer of the competition, Olufemi Ayeni, urged Nigerians to expect something massive, bigger and better than any other music reality show that has ever been witnessed in Nigeria. “This is our own creation for Afrobeats,” he said.
According to Ayeni, the winner will receive a $100,000 music deal made possible by a collaboration between ONErpm and U-Records. The remaining four finalists will also walk away with music deals ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. Celebrated producers, Andre Vibez, Puffy Tee, Sarz and P. Prime will serve judges of the competition.
