Christina Aguilera can't perform at ANN7's South African of the Year Awards on October because she's a judge on the 10th season next year and now already filming that.

Although initially announced as the headline act but then suddenly withdrawing, the American popstar Christina Aguilera can't perform at the upcoming South African of the Year Awards 2015 because although she's not a judge for the new season she is one on the next 10th season for next year which is already filming some parts for 2016.

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 is set for 17 October at the Ticketpro Dome in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 will now continue to be a private event like the inaugural event first held last year by Infinity Media which runs ANN7.

"Christina Aguilera has had to withdrawn due to a change in scheduling of the top-rated show The Voice on which she is one of the judges," says ANN7 in a statement issued on 18 September.

"The schedule change requires her to be in the United States on the day of the South African of the Year Awards show."

The 9th season of The Voice just started and Christina Aguilera is not a judge. The judges were announced in July with Gwen Stefani replacing Christina Aguilera for Gwen Stefani's second season on the show.

The American TV channel NBC also didn't announce any schedule changes to the latest 9th season of The Voice which just started.

TV with Thinus asked ANN7 several times what it means, why ANN7 is saying Christina Aguilera is a judge on The Voice if she isn't one on the new season and why ANN7 said the TV show has had a schedule change when the episodes as listed it didn't.

ANN7 representatives Carlene Brown de Jongh and Haranath Gosh didn't responded with answers to the media enquiries seeking clarification.

Meanwhile Oakbay Investments did reach out to me. Oakbay Investments asked that I contact agent Robert Norman at the Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Marc Robbins at Azoff Music Management in Los Angeles.

Robert Norman at CAA didn't respond to an email media enquiry, but Marc Robbins very kindly did and explained that Christina Aguilera is not a judge on the 9th season but of The Voice but is on the 10th season for next year and that early sections are now being filmed for that season already:

"Christina is on the next season of The Voice. The Voice has an exclusivity agreement with all the judges. The Voice changed the schedule on shooting the "blind auditions", "coach post blind interviews" and "promo" from the beginning of October to 10 October through 20 October. The only days without a The Voice commitment was 13, 14 and 15 October".

ANN7: Christina Aguilera dumped its South African Of the Year Awards 2015 because she's judging The Voice.

ANN7 (DStv 405) in a statement now says Christina Aguilera dumped the South African 24-hour TV news channel's upcoming South African of the Year Awards because she is judging The Voice.

The problem is that someone appears to be lying. The judges for the upcoming 9th season of The Voice on NBC starting on 21 September in the United States were announced back in July already and Christina Aguilera was replaced by Gwen Stefani who will be judging for her second season.


UPDATE 27 September: Christina Aguilera is a judge on the 10th season of The Voice which will be broadcast in 2016 and although the 9th season just started on TV in America, the "blind auditions" for the 10th season is now being filmed with filming dates that were moved.


And if it was true that Christina Aguilera is judging The Voice, why did ANN7 and Infinity Media choose her initially and not do due diligence beforehand which would have revealed that Christina Aguilera is not signable for a live performance in South Africa because she will be a judge?

It's all incredibly embarrassing for ANN7, the South African of the Year Awards and for Christina Aguilera.

The reputation of a media outlet like ANN7 which is in the news business is heavily based on values like honesty, transparency and above all credibility.

This latest sudden about-turn and having to backtrack on announcements and making a mockery of what the South African of the Year Awards 2015 was announced as initially, once again dents and inflicts damage on whatever credibility ANN7 has.

"Christina Aguilera has had to withdrawn due to a change in scheduling of the top-rated show The Voice on which she is one of the judges," says ANN7 in a statement released on Friday morning.

ANN7 goes on: "The schedule change requires her to be in the United States on the day of the South African of the Year Awards show."

NBC in America has not made any schedule changes whatsoever to its schedule for the upcoming 9th season of The Voice - on which Christina Aguilera is not a judge.

ANN7 will now be refunding all tickets to those who've already bought tickets for the South African of the Year Awards 2015 set for 17 October at the Ticketpro Dome in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 will continue but will now suddenly become a private event.

ANN7 says "anyone who has not heard from Ticketpro should call their call centre to ensure prompt refunding takes place"

Moegsien Williams, editor-in-chief for ANN7 and SATY2015 organiser says in a statement ANN7 is "deeply disappointed" that it will suddenly no longer be able to bring Christina Aguilera to South Africa but that ANN7 "understands that she has contractual obligations that she must meet".

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 will still be a live broadcast on the channel on 17 October.

BREAKING. Christina Aguilera suddenly dumps South Africa and ANN7's South African of the Year Awards 2015 a month before its set to take place.

Pop star Christina Aguilera has dumped South Africa and and the South African of the Year Awards a month before its set to take place to great embarrassment of news channel ANN7 (DStv 405).

There's been no announcement from Infinity Media's 24-hour TV news channel, but the sudden withdrawal of the pop-star who would have been the headline act is once again damaging ANN7's reputation that will have to refund people who already bought tickets to the event set to take place on 17 October at the TicketPro Dome in Randburg, Johannesburg.

It's not clear why the popstar withdrew. 
UPDATE 27 September: Christina Aguilera is a judge on the 10th season of The Voice which will be broadcast in 2016 and although the 9th season just started on TV in America, the "blind auditions" for the 10th season is now being filmed with filming dates that were moved.

It can't be of clashes with the American version of The Voice on NBC in America since she’s no longer a judge on the upcoming 9th season starting on 21 September with Gwen Stefani returning for her second season.

Christina Aguilera's withdrawal is throwing a huge spoke in the wheel of the SATY's, taking place for a second time this year after last year’s successful first awards show, with the event which might possibly even be scuppered or with the names of category winners simply being announced.

ANN7 said the 2015 SATYs would be a live TV broadcast on the channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform; no word yet on whether this would go ahead if the awards show is still taking place with Christina Aguilera and without ticket sales for the event.

ANN7 is still broadcasting the I Am South African show at 18:00 with Maps Maponyane.

Christina Aguilera heading to South Africa; will perform as headline act at ANN7's 2015 South African of the Year Awards on 17 October.

The American pop star Christina Aguilera is heading to South Africa and will perform as the headline act at ANN7’s (DStv 405) second South African of the Year Awards on 17 October.

The American singer Jason Derulo and several other local artists like AKA, The Soil and ChianoSky will also perform at the 24-hour TV news channel’s awards show honouring remarkable South Africans for their achievements.

While the first South African of the Year Awards was held at the Sandton Convention Centre last year, the 2015 SATYs will be taking place at the Ticketpro Dome (formerly the Coca-Cola Dome) in Northgate in Johannesburg on 17 October.

Moegsien Williams, editor-in-chief at ANN7 says securing Christina Aguilera was a coup.

"While we are celebrating all things South Africa, our intention is at the same time to market the couontry and showcase the wide array of talented, innovative, industrious, high-achieving and successful people in our land and within all spheres. This is why, strategically, we secure major international acts each year."

"The South African of the Year Awards is a prestigious event featuring and attended by the who's who of South Africa. We are therefore proud to have an artist as talented and socially responsible as Christina Aguilera," says Moegsien Williams.

In the run up to the South African of the Year Awards, ANN7 is broadcasting the I am South African magazine show from Mondays to Saturdays at 18:00 presented by Maps Maponyane and Avashnee Vandiar.