The 2011 Channel O Awards are almost here. Voting closed at midnight on Friday (27/28 October) and the build-up to the show has begun. The ceremony goes down at the Sandton Convention Centre on Friday, 11 November and will air live on Channel O at 21h00 (CAT).
The awards are in their ninth year this year and word is the theme for the night is "The Arena". Last year's theme was aviation - the presenters and the booty who welcomed people etc were dressed in pilot gear and the surrounding sounds and decor had an airport/flight feel.
So what can we expect from The Arena? I'm thinking a big stadium feel, rouring crowds, pulsing lighting ... possibly with Roman elements - maybe Banky W in a Spartacus thong?
Banky will be hosting the ceremony, with Channel O's
Dineo Moeketsi - who hosted the red carpet build-up last year.
Flash fact: the awards started in 2003 as the Reel Music Video Awards. In 2005 they changed name.
This year's red carpet will be hosted by none other than Big Brother Amplified and Channel O's
Weza Solunga. She'll be on the red interviewing guests when they arrive and will be joined by Channel O newcomer Jokate Urban Mwegelo a.k.a J.K. - who'll be covering the pre-drinks/boozy area and backstage.
Flash fact: some musos walk the red carpet twice. I noticed it last year, ha!
Various nominees will be doing their thang during the show. Those who'll be performing include AKA, L-Tido, Mozambique's
Lizha James, Professor, DJ Cleo, Naija's Flavour and Angola's Cabo Snoop.
There's also gonna be a rap showdown between Khuli Chana, AKA, Uganda's Keko, rapper Navio, Zambia’s C.R.I.$.I.$ and Najia's Ice Prince.
Actress, dancer and bigtime tweeter
Khabonina Qubeka's choreographing the moves for all of the dance sequences.
As for who's getting the whopping recognition of the night: Najia's D'Banj will be honoured with this year's Special Recognition Award.
TVSA will be in the action of it all to bring you the inside sc-ooh-p of snaps and gosss. In the meantime, here's the full list of nominees:
Channel O 2011 MVA Nominees.