Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest, AKA and Sauti Sol lead the pack in the first round of nominations for the forthcoming MTV Africa Music Awards Johannesburg 2016 (MAMA), with an impressive nine nominations between them.

Fifty MAMA nominees including artists and achievers from 18 countries were revealed in 9 key music and lifestyle award categories by Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa and MTV Base (DStv channel 322) at a star-studded reception at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa last night.

The second round of nominations, comprising 7 additional award categories, including Artist of the Year, Best Female, Listener’s Choice, Best Breakthrough, Best Francophone, Song of the Year in partnership with Google, and Video of the Year, will be revealed at the Hard Rock Café, Lagos, Nigeria during Road to MAMA – Lagos 2016 (2 October 2016). No nominations will be revealed for the MTV Base Reimagined award, and MAMA Legend.

Voting for MAMA 2016 opens at 10pm on Wednesday 21 September.

See list of nominees below:

MAMA 2016 NOMINATIONS

Best Male

AKA (South Africa)
Black Coffee (South Africa)
Diamond (Tanzania)
Patoranking (Nigeria)
Wizkid (Nigeria)

 

Best Live

Cassper Nyovest (South Africa)
Eddy Kenzo (Uganda)
Flavour (Nigeria)
Mafikizolo (South Africa)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)

Best Group

Mi Casa (South Africa)
Navy Kenzo (Tanzania)
R2bees (Ghana)
Sauti Sol (Kenya)
Toofan (Togo)

Best Collaboration in partnership with Absolut

AKA feat. Burna Boy, Khuli Chana & Yanga – “Baddest” (South Africa/Nigeria)
DJ Maphorisa feat. Wizkid & DJ Bucks – “Soweto Baby” ((South Africa/Nigeria)
Nasty C feat. Davido, Cassper – “Juice Back Remix” (Nigeria/South Africa)
Patoranking feat. Sarkodie – “No Kissing” (Nigeria/Ghana)
Sauti Sol feat. Alikiba – “Unconditionally Bae” (Kenya/Tanzania)

Best Hip Hop in association with MTN

Emtee (South Africa)
Kiff No Beat (Ivory Coast)
Olamide (Nigeria)
Riky Rick (South Africa)
Ycee (Nigeria)

Best Pop/Alternative

Desmond & The Tutus (South Africa)
LCNVL (South Africa)
Shekinah (South Africa) / Kyle Deutsch (South Africa)
Timo ODV (South Africa)
Tresor (DRC)

Best Lusophone

C4 Pedro (Angola)
NGA (Angola)
Lizha James (Mozambique)
Nelson Freitas (Netherlands/Cape Verde)
Preto Show (Angola)

Personality of the Year in association with DStv

Caster Semenya (South Africa)
Linda Ikeji (Nigeria)
Pearl Thusi (South Africa)
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best International

Adele (UK)
Beyoncé (USA)
Drake (Canada)
Future (USA)
Rihanna (Barbados)