Nigeria - Gospel Artistes Hold Maiden Awards

It was not the popular Star Trek, neither was it the Hip Hop Music Awards. No! It was not Kennis Easter Music Fiesta either. It was the maiden edition of the awards/praise night of all the gospel artistes in the country.

 
And the epoch-making event witnessed an unprecedented sea of people who defiled sleep and comfort to catch a glimpse of their darling stars in the Nigerian gospel music scene.

 
The maiden edition of the event tagged "Awards/Praise Night and Competition among Upcoming Artistes," brought together some top gospel artistes like Prince Gozie Okeke and wife, Princess Njideka Okeke (Akanchawa); Rosemary Chukwu-Onumaegbu; Chinyeremaka Blessed Samuel of the Mmanuanu fame; Chinedu Nwadike (Okugbajieaka); St. Matthew; Gilbert Okolie (Open Door) among others, who won awards in various categories

 
The action-loaded event held between 10.00pm of Sunday April 4, 2010 (Easter Sunday) till dawn at the King of Kings Evangelical Ministries Int'l on KM 15 Badagry Expressway, Lagos, set the place agog as the gospel music stars performed to the expectation of the crowd.

 
Popularly known for his album entitled 'Liberation Hour' a.k.a Okuabajieaka, which brought him to limelight in 2004, Chinedu Nwadike was a delight to behold as he performed in the event.

 
The excited fast upcoming Nollywood actor, who emerged the Best Gospel Act of the Year (Open Door Award), told the crowd while receiving the award that his was a story of rag to riches as he was once a wheelbarrow pusher and a groundnut hawker.

 
The Best Gospel Song (female category) of the Year was won by Princess Njideka Okeke, while the Best Vocalist of the Year went to her husband, Prince Gozie Okeke.

 
Blessed Samuel, who is the chief executive officer of Mmanuanu recording studio, Lagos, won the Best Male Gospel Artiste of the Year award, whereas Rosemary Chukwu - Onumegbu emerged the Best Female Spiritual Artiste of the Year.

 
Other awardees were Gilbert Okolie - Most Popular Gospel Album of the Year; Evang. St. Matthew - Best Contemporary Gospel Act of the Year; Bro. Uche Ndukwe (Liberation Time) - Best New Act of the Year; Longinus Anokwute (a.k.a Oriaku Jesus) - Best Upcoming Comedian of the Year; Sis Vision Igwenagu (Calvary Worship) -Best Female Worship Singer of the Year.

 
Also awarded are Pastor Evans Mozurunyem, senior pastor of King of Kings Evangelical Ministry Int'l - Patron; Mr. Charles Egwu - Artiste Producer of the Year and Transerve Disc - Replicating Company Per Excellence.

 
Again, the crowd went frenzy when Rosemary Chukwu, Gozie Okeke, Blessed Samuel, Chinedu Nwadike, Sis. Vision Igwenagu all mounted the stage and performed.

 
Interestingly, the upcoming artistes were not left out as they displayed their in-depth musical talents and skills in a keen contest, to the admiration of the audience.

 
The 14 of them who displayed a scintillating performance gave the judges a big task in deciding the eventual winner.

 
Incidentally, Victoria Chima (Ada Jesus), a parishioner at St. Charles Catholic Church, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, emerged winner of the competition. She carted home a giant deep freezer. The runner's up, Bro. Uzochukwu Anawonwa, went home with a laptop. All the 14 contestants went home with different gift items.

 
Earlier in his speech, one of the organizers of the event, St. Mathew, remarked that music has become part of everyday life and much effort has been committed in the industry by gifted people from all walks of life to make the industry grow.

 
He said: "In the secular world, a lot of youngsters are coming up and they are making impact, taking the industry to the next level. Gospel music too is not left out as God Himself has endowed so many of our young people with very rare music inspiration and talents, who indeed have invested them and today, their names are written in gold."

 
St. Matthew and other gospel artistes also decried the plight of gospel artistes in the country, saying that the corporate bodies ignore them and rather focus attention on their counterparts in secular music.

 
The award winning singer cum actor who came into limelight with his 2002 Iko Uwa Ejula album, in an interview with Weekend Circuit further said, "We actually want to do our own thing because in the Nigerian entertainment industry, gospel music is being left behind. If you watch through a lot of awards, programmes, concerts and seminars, you hardly can pick anywhere gospel artistes are being gathered."

 
The person who masterminded the programme, Bro. Gilbert Okolie, expressed happiness that it turned out to be a huge success despite all the challenges contended with. The warfare singer and preachier popularly called Open Door by his fans and who has six albums to his credit, explained that the programme came to him as a vision, as "a way of liberating our gospel artistes because our predecessors suffered, upon all their talents and wisdom."

 
He disclosed that when the vision came to him, he invited other colleagues: St. Matthew, Blessed Samuel Chinyeremaka and Bro. Longinus Anokwute, who together planned the programme with him.

 
Like others, Okolie also has words for corporate bodies: "If they (corporate bodies) focus on gospel artistes, we will give them better than what they think they are getting in hip hop circle. I know they are trying but let them just focus their mind on us. It is not all about dancing, singing but in our own we sing, fast, pray and liberate people and our country."

 
Though, he expressed optimism that the programme would be held yearly and in different parts of the country, Okolie hinted that they hope to host similar event before the end of the year.