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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Arts Reporter —
PreparationS for the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) show to be held in Johannesburg, are gathering momentum days after the announcement of the full nomination list.  This year’s show will see US award-winning hip-hop superstar, and MAMA 2016 nominee for Best International Act and mesmerising live performer Future, setting the stage on fire at the Ticketpro Dome.

Future joins previously announced African performers like Diamond, Emtee, Kwesta, Patoranking Alikiba, Babes Wodumo, Cassper Nyovest, Nasty C, Ycee and Yemi Alade. Voting process for Listener’s Choice Award began last week and man of the moment Jah Prayzah is listed amongst the nominees which has sparked some controversy with some music critics saying the awards were flawed and biased.

The “Mudhara Vachauya” hitmaker is nominated against Adiouza (Senegal), Bebe Cool (Uganda), Burna Boy (Nigeria), Den G (Liberia), EL (Ghana), Jay Rox (Zambia), Kansoul (Kenya), Kiss Daniel (Nigeria), Lij Michael (Ethiopia), LXG (Sierra Leone), Meddy (Rwanda), Messias Marioca (Mozambique), Prince Kaybee (SA), Reda Taliani (Algeria), Saad Lamjarred (Morocco), Sabri Mosbah (Tunisia), Sidiki Diabate (Mali), Tamer Hosny (Egypt), The Dogg (Namibia) and Yamoto Band (Tanzania).

The full nomination has been dubbed the “Return of Big Brother” as some described it after the organisers saw it fit creating the list because there was an outrage that some countries have been left out in “better” categories. For a start, a third of those nominated on Listener’s Choice Award have been played on Zambezi Magic and the new trendy Trace Africa which seem to be a threat to MTV Base.

One still wonders, what criteria was used because some closed sources revealed that those nominated have never submitted, but however, that means the organisers decided to pick the favourite listeners in each country. The question many would want answered is how did organisers measure the listener’s capacity?

Does MTV now have a listening volume or they wanted to say ‘Viewer’s Choice’?