The Channel O Africa Music Video Awards 2014 on Channel O (DStv 320) broadcast live on Saturday night on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform across several countries across the African continent saw South Africa's Cassper Nyovest scoop 3 awards, including best music video of the year, while 90s South African kwaito group, Boom Shaka was honoured with their "first award ever".
Held at the Expo Centre for the 11th time, it has become evident how the Channel O Africa Music Video Awards has helped to elevate and improve the quality of music videos produced across the African continent - already much better and slicker produced than when the award ceremony was first held.
The Channel O Africa Music Video Awards 2014 itself has vastly improved, again executive produced as a made-for-TV special by Glenn van Loggerenberg and Don't Look Down TV, and a far cry from the amateur-looking, bungled and mistake-riddled telecasts of previous years.
Still in short supply after more than a decade however at the Channel O Africa Music Video Awards are female performers - both as nominees, winners and on-stage performers, with exclusively men who performed during the awards closer, although the ceremony has done away with the sexist, humiliating and excessive grinding and over-sexualised dance contortions of female back-up dancers which permeated the awards show in previous years.
The theme for 2014 was a car and racing infused spectacle, with artists and performers driven on stage with a range of vehicles, and the stage created in the form of the Channel O logo and Siyabonga Ngwekazi and Eku Edewot as hosts.
Cassper Nyovest tied with Tanzania's Diamond who each scooped three awards. Cassper Nyovest won as most gifted male, most gifted Southern Africa music video and best music video, while Diamond won most gifted newcomer, most gifted Afro pop music video as well as most gifted East African music video.
"A thank you to everybody who let me squat at their houses when I started out with this dream," Cassper Nyovest said in his acceptance speech for best music video as the final award of the night.
"I used to stay at my friends' houses all the time. A shout-out to my parents for supporting me in my dream. My parents are teachers, and they allowed me to drop put of school to rap."
"A big shout-out to Jesus Christ. I really pray. I hope all the kids at home can see what prayer does. A shout-out to all the haters. And a shout-out to Channel O," said Cassper Nyovest.
The special recognition award went to Boom Shaka, the pioneering group that helped to shape the kwaito genre in the 90's.
In a quivering emotional voice Bucie and Busiswa took to the stage and joined the remaining group members Junior Sokhela, Theo Nhlengethwa and Thembi Seete to pay tribute to Lebo Mathosa, saying "thank you. Thank you. This is our first award ever".
"As Africans we have come a long way and I would like to thank those individuals who make a valuable contribution towards making the African music industry a masterpiece that we can all be proud of," says Nkateko Mabaso, Channel O director.
