Channel O is proud to announce the nominees for the 2007 Channel O Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards. This year’s nominee list has produced 46 artists from 12 different countries. SA’s HHP leads the pack with five nominations under his belt. Hot on his heels with four nominations each are Nigeria’s D’Banj for Why Me, Mozambique’s Dama Do Bling for Danca Do Remexe and Uganda’s E.A.B.C for Kube. Now in their fourth year, the Channel O Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are unique in that videos are voted for by viewers, giving fans complete control over who receives an award. Criteria used for short-listing were technical quality, frequency of requests for a video on the different Channel O shows and overall creativity. The videos need to have been released between June 2006 and June 2007 and should have received airplay on Channel O. Channel O General Manager Yolisa Phahle is sure that the nominations reflect the diverse and growing music industry in the continent. “We are seeing videos of increasingly high quality and this is a direct reflection of the industry’s growth”, she says. “At Channel O we look to strike a balance between promoting the up and coming big names of tomorrow alongside established artists. This year some of the newer names are also producing outstanding music and high quality videos”. Viewers and fans will be able to vote for their favourite artists by smsing or voting online. Voting starts on Monday 20 August until Thursday, 04 October. Viewers can vote in each category by logging on to to vote, or SMS to 34622. All sms’s are charged at international call rates. The complete list of nominees is: 1. BEST MALE VIDEO Batman Samini - African Lady (Ghana) D’Banj - Why Me (Nigeria) Don Kikas - Miss U (Angola) HHP - Tlhabane to Maftown (SA) Nameless- Sinzia (Kenya) Tay grin - Stand Up (Malawi) 2. BEST FEMALE VIDEO Chomee- Jiver Sexy (SA) Dama Do Bling - Danca Do Remexe (Mozambique) Ida - Make It Hot (Kenya) Lira - Feel Good (SA) Neyma - Mbilo Yanga (Mozambique) Weird MC - Ready to Party (Nigeria) 3. BEST NEWCOMER VIDEO Faze - Kolomental (Nigeria) Gumshev - Hosh (SA) L’Vovo - Banyang Sukela (SA) Sanchez - Pick it Up (Nigeria) Scar - Metlholo (Botswana) The Dogg - Baby Don’t Go (Namibia) 4. BEST DUO OR GROUP VIDEO Afro Fiesta - Matinda (DRC) Gal Level - Lala (Namibia) Kalibrados - Quem Manda No Teu Block (Angola) Mafikizolo - O Tswa Kae (SA) P Square - Bizzy Body (Nigeria) Teargas - Chance (SA) 5. BEST DANCE VIDEO Acid- Banyana le Basimane (Botswana) Chomee - Jiver Sexy (SA) DJ Cleo - Falling (SA) DJ Sbu - Remember When It Rained (SA) DJ Zee - Same Here (Kenya) Mina Nawe - Where I Wanna Be (SA) 6. BEST RAGGA DANCEHALL VIDEO Batman Samini - African Lady (Ghana) E.A.B.C - Kube (Kenya) Khalaharians - Give It Up (Namibia) Maye ft Buff & Igo - I-V (Nigeria) Mensa - If You Don’t Know (Ghana) Peter Miles - Love (Uganda) 7. BEST R&B VIDEO Danny K - Unfrozen (SA) De Indispensables - I Love You (Nigeria) Lizha James - Nunawamina (Mozambique) Neyma - Mbilo Yanga (Mozambique) Tumi - Give Me You (SA) Wyre - Make A Choice (Kenya) 8. BEST KWAITO VIDEO Gazza - Mokasie (Namibia) Gumshev - Hosh (SA) Kabelo - Dubula Dubula (SA) L’Vovo - Bayang’ Sukela (SA) Thebe - Dankie (SA) Zola - Stars (SA) 9. BEST AFRICAN SOUTHERN VIDEO Doma Do Bling - Danca Do Remexe (Mozambique) Don Kikas - Miss U (Angola) HHP - Tlhabane to Maftown (SA) Kabelo - Dubula Dubula (SA) Scar - Metlholo (Botswana) Tay grin - Stand Up (Malawi) 10 BEST AFRICAN WEST VIDEO Batman Samini - African Lady (Ghana) D’Banj - Why Me (Nigeria) De Indispensables - I Love You (Nigeria) Jimmy Jatt - Stylee (Nigeria) Maye ft Buff & Igo - I-V (Nigeria) Mensa - If You Don’t Know (Ghana) 11. BEST AFRICAN EAST VIDEO E.A.B.C - Kube (Kenya) IDA - Make it Hot (Kenya) Juma Nature - Mugambo (Tanzania) Nameless - Sinzia (Kenya) Peter Miles - Love (Uganda) Wyre - Make A Choice (Kenya) 12. BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO Eldee - Champion (Nigeria) Koldproduk - “Hush” (SA) Jimmy Jatt - Stylee (Nigeria) Prokid - Storm (SA) Scar - Metlholo (Botswana) Tay grin - Stand Up (Malawi) 13. BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS VIDEO D’Banj - Why Me (Nigeria) Danny K - Unfrozen (SA) HHP - Tlhabane to Maftown (SA) Kabelo - Dubula Dubula (SA) Koldproduk - “Hush” (SA) Soul E - Baby Dey (Nigeria) 14. BEST DIRECTOR DJ Marcalo - for Danca Do Rmexe by Dama do Bling (Mozambique) DJ Tee - for Stylee by Jimmy Jatt (Nigeria) Lara Hollis - for Feel Good by Lira (SA) Marcel Mouton - for Tlhabane to Maftown (SA) EABC - Kube (Kenya) Kalibrados - Quem Manda No Teu Block (Angola) 15. VIDEO OF THE YEAR D’banj - Why Me (Nigeria) Dama Do Bling - Danca Do Remexe (Mozambique) E.A.B.C - Kube (Kenya) HHP - Tlhabane to Maftown (SA) Kalibrados - Quem Manda No Teu Block (Angola) Maye - I-V (Nigeria) The Awards ceremony will he held at the Johannesburg City Hall on Thursday, 11 October 2007. Source: channelo