Season 10
The 2013 Channel O Africa Music Video Awards took place on Saturday 30 November 2013 at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto and were broadcast live on Channel O from 20h00.
They were preceded by a live special at 19h00 called the 2013 Awards Red Carpet, which aired on DStv's Vuzu channel on the show V-Entertainment.
The Annual Channel O Africa Music Video Awards celebrated 10 years of being the leading and most consistently exciting music awards event on the continent.
It was an open field this year, with a fantastic list of nominees from across the continent, representing the different genres that make Africa shine.
The awards, of course, also featured a sparkling line-up of guest presents, on-point hosts and once-off live performances from some of the continent's best and biggest artists.
Under the choreographing genius of acclaimed dancer extraordinaire Somizi Mhlongo, leading the charge was Cassper Nyovest featuring Okmalumkooklat who scored a massive hit this year with Gusheshe.
Nigerian hotshot Burna Boy showed how he likes to party with a performance that confirmed his standing as a rising artist while South Africa was represented by the likes of The Soil and Khuli Chana.
Kenyan Victoria Kimani and Zimbabwe's Buffalo Souljah also caused a riot on stage with a strong performance. Add in Nigerian recording artist and songwriter, Wizkid, South African chart-topper AKA featuring Da L.E.S., KCee of Limpopo fame and Lizha James, and you had just about the hottest line-up of African talent of 2013.
A highlight of the 10th Annual Channel O Africa Music Video Awards was a show-stopping performance by Mafikizolo and was hosted by Nigerian superstar Naeto C and South African airwaves hotshot AKA.
Nigerian R&B duo P-Square were honoured with the coveted Special Recognition Award this year, following in the footsteps of Africa's most ground-breaking musicians including last year's honouree, the multi-talented South African music veteran Oscar "Oskido" Mdlongwa; Nigeria's Koko Master D'Banj (2011); Somalian born K'NAAN (2010); South African Brenda Fassie (2009) and Ghana's George Lee (2008), to mention a few.
The dynamic duo, which comprises of the identical twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye, were presented with this award for their significant artistic contributions to music, which have helped place African music and its artists firmly on international stages.
Renowned for their universal sound and electrifying stagecraft they have been able to transcend cultural and ethnic differences with their brand of music.
Nominees in the 14 categories included multiple double nods for over 10 artists, from East, West and Southern African, reflecting the outpouring of world-class music videos on the continent over the past year.
This year's nominees list featured many longstanding members of the African music scene, among them South Africa's Oskido (Tsa Mandebele for Most Gifted African Southern), Zimbabwe's Buffalo Souljah (Basawine for Most Gifted Ragga Dancehall Video), and Mozambique's Lizha James (Vais Rochar with Anselmo Ralph for Most Gifted Female).
The list of nominees was also bursting with new faces, including the five contenders in the Most Gifted Newcomer category – South Africans Moneoa (Is'Bhanxa) and Idols Season 8 winner Khaya Mthethwa (Move), Nigeria's Lola Rae (Watch My Ting Go) and Burna Boy (Tonight) and Kenya's Victoria Kimani (Mtoto).
And the multiplicity of genres emerging in this highlight category of the 10th Annual Channel O Africa Music Video Awards – from Dance Pop to contemporary Afrobeat and Afro-fusion – provided a brilliant glimpse into the diversity of sounds that currently define Africa's music scene.
To celebrate a decade of recognising the best African contemporary music talent, the 10th Annual Channel O Africa Music Awards expanded the prestigious Most Gifted Video of the Year category to 12 nominees, increasing the pressure on nominees in the most fiercely fought category at the awards.
The category again revealed the mix of newcomers and established artists at this year's event – a signal of the growing maturity of Africa's music scene.
South African duo Mafikizolo's Khona was up for Most Gifted Video of the Year as well as Most Gifted Dance Video, and Nigeria's P Square proved their ongoing popularity with the nomination of Alingo for the Most Gifted Video of the Year as well as Most Gifted African West.
But the Most Gifted Video of the Year category also included hotshot newcomers, among them Kenya's Xtatic whose track with Priddy Ugly and AKA, Hit 'Em Up was making a strong bid for the title (as well as Most Gifted Duo Group or Featuring).
AKA himself made his presence felt at this year's awards: alongside his featuring spots with Xtatic and Zeus, his video Jealously was in the running for Most Gifted Video of the Year and Most Gifted Hip Hop Video.
Another nominee in the Most Gifted Video of the Year category was Kenya's STL whose Stella Stella Stella also put her in contention for Most Gifted Female where she was up against Lizha James (Vais Rochar), South Africa's Zonke (Feelings) and Toya DeLazy (Heart) as well as Nigeria's Tiwa Savage (Without My Heart featuring Don Jazzy).
Most Gifted Male included Botswana's Zeus featuring AKA and Tumi, #Datswasup (also in the running for Most Gifted Video of the Year) along with Nigeria's Iyanya (Flavour) and Wizkid (Azonto), South Africa's Donald (Over The Moon) and Tanzania's Ay featuring Marco Chali (Party Zone).
Whether it's in the heavy hitting categories, or the genre and regional categories, there's no doubting that the 10th Annual Channel O Africa Music Video Awards had all the makings of a thrilling affair.
2013 Winners
Most Gifted Duo/Group Featuring Video
Tear gas - Wake Up
Xtatic/Aka & Priddy Ugly - Hit Em Up
Mi Casa - Can't Get Enough
EME - Baddest Boy
Naeto C ft D'Banj - Tony Montana (Bad Pass) Remix
Zone Fam - Contolola
Most Gifted Newcomer Video
Moneoa - Is'bhanxa
Lola Rae - Watch My Ting Go
Khaya Mthethwa - Move
Victoria Kimani - Mtoto
Burna Boy - Tonight
Most Gifted Female Video
Zonke - Feelings
Lizha James ft Anselmo Ralph - Vais Rochar
STL - Stella Stella Stella
Tiwa Savage ft Don Jazzy - Without My Heart
Toya Delazy - Heart
Most Gifted Male Video
Donald - Over The Moon
Zeus ft AKA & TUMI - #DatsWasup
Wizkid - Azonto
AY/Marco Chali - Party Zone
Iyanya - Flavour
Most Gifted Ragga/Dancehall Video
Buffalo Souljah - Basawine
Kaakie - Too Much
Jesse Jagz - Murder Dem
P-Unit ft Collo - You Guy (Dat Dendai)
Radio and Weasel - Can't Let You Go
Most Gifted Hip Hop Video
AKA - Jealousy
Jayso & Sarkodie - Pizza & Burger
Reason - Do It Like I Can
Ifani ft Blaksuga - Chocolate Vanilla
EL/M.anifest - Hallelujah
Most Gifted R&B Video
Banky W - Yes/No
Anselmo Ralph - Curticao
Danny K - Brown Eyes
Chase - Lonely
Victoria Kimani/M.I - Oya
Most Gifted Afro Pop Video
The Soil ft Zakwe - Inkomo
Sauti Sol - Money Lover
2Face Idibia - Ihe Ne Me
The Muffinz - Umsebenzi Wendoda
Davido - Gobe
Most Gifted Dance Video
KCEE - Limpopo
Mafikizolo - Khona
Fuse ODG ft Wyclef Jean - Antenna (Remix)
DJ Malvado ft Petty - Jamaica
DJ Ganyani FT FB - Xigubu
Most Gifted Kwaito Video
L'vovo Derrango ft Professor - Palesa
Professor ft Oskido & Character - Finger Prints
EES - Woza December
Kabelo - Impilo
DJ Tira ft Big Nuz & Joocy - Summer Time
Most Gifted African (West) Video
D'Prince - Goody Bag
Ice Prince - Aboki
R2Bees - Life (Walaahi)
Dblack ft Joey - Vera
Chidinma ft Illbliss & Suspect - Emi Ni Ballar
P-Square - Alingo
Most Gifted African (East) Video
AY/Marco Chali - Party Zone
P-Unit ft Collo: You Guy (Dat Dendai)
Radio & Weasel - Can't Let You Go
Sauti Sol - Money Lover
Navio - Kata
Most Gifted African (South) Video
Dama Do Bling - My Eish
Oskido - Tsa Mandebele
Black Coffee ft Zakes - Take it All Off
Paul G ft Fabulous - Get Control
DJ Dimplez ft L-Tido & ANATii - We Ain't Leaving
Khuli Chana - Hazzadazmove
Most Gifted Video of the Year
AKA - Jealousy
Mafikizolo - Khona
STL - Stella, Stella, Stella
P Square - Alingo
Fuse ODG FT Wyclef Jean - Antenna
Xtatic/AKA & Priddy Ugly - Hit 'Em Up
Zeus FT AKA & Tumi - #DatsWasup
Wizkid - Azonto
Paul G FT Fabulous - Get Control
Reason - Do It Like I Can
R2Bees - Life (Walaahi)
Ice Prince (Aboki)