Members Parliament want an investigation into the Shs13Bn the Ministry of Tourism paid to event organisers for Uganda to host the flopped 2020 @MTVBaseAfrica Music Awards (MAMA).
The event were later cancelled over public backlash that @GovUganda wanted to use the awards to try whitewash Uganda’s image at international scene.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
MTV Africa and MTV Base announced the return of the continental flagship award show in 2021.
The Iconic MTV Base celebration, MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA), which showcases the ultimate in African culture, music, and creativity, was to be held in a re-imagined virtual format in partnership with Uganda, The Pearl of Africa on February 20th 2021.
According to the organisers, the repeat show would also be aired on BET Africa, BET International and MTV channels across multiple continents as a one-hour MAMA-themed MTV World Stage feature.
The ultimate celebration of local African and international talent and achievement, MAMA 2021, in partnership with Uganda, The Pearl of Africa, recognises and rewards musicians, trailblazers and those who are shining a light on the continent’s diverse talent and creativity by instilling positive impact on African music and youth culture over the previous years
The awards ceremony would feature vibrant performances from leading African and international artists and would also showcase some of the biggest cross-genre and cross-border collaborations.
The event would celebrate African talent across 20 award categories, including Best Male, Best Female, Best Song, and Best Collaboration. The contribution of artists from Portuguese and French-speaking Africa would also be recognised in the Best Lusophone and Best Francophone categories.
Additional new categories included are the MAMA Generation Change Award, Best Fan Base, Alone Together Best Lock-down Performance and Personality of the Year.
The MAMA Generation Change Award would recognise the inspiring, young change makers of the continent who are tackling some of the world’s most challenging social problems.
The said Alone Together Best Lock-down Performance was set to recognise outstanding performances that took place virtually by celebrating artists who took to streaming services to share their music and unite society during the unprecedented 2020 Lockdown.
The category selection criteria was from October 1st 2019 to October 1st 2020. The nominees would be announced in December 2020 and music lovers would have their say by voting for their favourite stars online.
Godfrey Kiwanda, State Minister for Tourism by then said: “It was an incredible achievement for Uganda to host the continent and International stakeholders for the MAMA Kampala 2021 for the first time. The awards are an extraordinary African cultural experience, and we understand the important role it plays in driving awareness, cross culture education and profiling the continent’s rich leisure tourism offerings on the international stage.”
Craig Paterson, Senior Vice President & General Manager, VCNA, said: “The latest edition of the MAMA promises to be our biggest and most innovative yet. Millions of fans worldwide will enjoy the digitally re-imagined celebration and African music via multiple broadcasts globally. We are excited to partner with Uganda to bring viewers a unique format and experience that positions Africa’s diverse heritage and digital innovation.”
All this never happened but records indicate that over 13 billion shillings was spent by the ministry to pay off bills and service providers.
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