AWARD CATEGORY: The Future Awards Africa Prize in Entertainment

Olamide “Badoo” Adedeji – 26, Nigeria

Olamide’s road to fame is one for the history books. Not too long ago, he was a regular kid growing up in Bariga, at the Heart of Lagos Mainland. His talent and doggedness got him the right notices and in 2010, he hit the ground running with his first hit single, Eni duro. He has gone on to release 4 commercially successful studio albums as well as a collaborative record with fellow indigenous rapper Phyno.

Olamide raps in a unique blend of Yoruba and English with lyrics that are at once playful and punchy. He has emerged in the last five decades as one of the most prolific and commercially viable artistes on the continent. With numerous hit singles and albums, Olamide has been able to crossover into mainstream circles.

A businessman and label boss, Olamide’s YBNL label and artiste management outfit manages his career and has introduced fast rising acts such as Lil Kesh, Viktoh, Chinko Ekun and Adekunle Gold.

Yemi Alade – 26, Nigeria

Yemi Eberechi Alade is a Nigerian Afro pop singer. She came into the limelight after winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009 and is best known for her hit single “Johnny”

Born in Abia State, Nigeria,  Alade made her debut in a girl group named Noty Spices and in 2012, was signed to music label Effyzzie Music Group. In the last quarter of 2013, Yemi Alade broke records when the single, “Johnny”, produced by Selebobo, was released. The dance number received major critical acclaim and became an instant smash hit, topping and dominating countless music charts across the globe.

Alade has featured on the covers of a number of magazines and has performed around the world, sharing the stage with Mary J. Blige, Shina Peters, M.I, Wizkid, Becca, May D, Waje and Yemi Sax. She headlined the Super Diva’s Nite at the 2013 Calabar Festival, and also was called upon to open the 2013 edition of the televised Headies Awards ceremony (popularly referred to as the “Nigerian Grammys”) with an electrifying performance.

The music video for “Johnny,”directed by Clarence Peters was released in March 2014 to critical acclaim and now has more than 16 million views on VeVo/YouTube. “. She released her debut album, King of Queens, on 2 October 2014 and embarked on a promotional tour.

Vanessa Mdee – 27, Tanzania

Vanessa Mdee started her career as a VJ with MTV in Dar es Salaam. Afterwards, she joined Carol and Kule to host the Coca Cola Chart Express. By 2008, Mdee had established herself in Tanzania and around the continent, hosting shows in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Angola, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On 26 March 2015, Vanessa Mdee released her hit single Nobody But Me where she collaborated with heavy hitting South African rapper K.O

On May 13, 2015 Vanessa Mdee joined forces with arguably seven of Africa’s most popular songstresses for the ONE mission,- Celebrating girl power.-The campaign is calling on world leaders to put girls and women in the forefront in 2015.

In 2015, Mdee was nominated for Tanzania’s Choice awards, MTV Africa Music Awards and won the African Muzik Magazine Awards for Best Female Artiste in East Africa.

Refiloe Maele “Cassper Nyovest” Phoolo – 25, South Africa

Cassper Nyovest is a South African recording artist and record producer currently signed to his own independent label and Media Company.

Nyovest grew up in Montshiwa in Mafikeng, the capital city of the North West province and started rapping when he was in grade 6, at the age of 12. At age 16, he decided to drop out of high school and relocated to Johannesburg the following year to pursue a career in music as a rapper.

In 2013, he released “Gusheshe” as the first official single from his debut album, Tsholofelo. The single was well received and playlisted across various radio stations in South Africa. It was accompanied by a music video which premiered on Vuzu’s V-Entertainment.

After “Gusheshe”, Nyovest released his second single titled “Doc Shebeleza” which saw him gain major success. The song peaked at number 4 on South Africa’s official music chart. The song received positive reviews from the public and other South African acts including Yvonne Chaka Chaka.

Nyovest announced that he was planning to headline a concert at South Africa’s Ticket Pro Dome billed as “Fill Up the Dome”. The concert would also double as the release of his sophomore album, Refiloe.

On October 25, 2015, Nyovest announced on his official Twitter account that tickets to Fill up the Dome sold out. Each purchased ticket to the upcoming concert comes with a complimentary copy of his much anticipated upcoming sophomore album Refiloe, which each concert goer will receive on October 31, 2015. Refiloe is expected to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa for shipments of 20,000 copies on its opening weekend.

Anne Kansiime – 28, Uganda

Anne Kansiime, is an entertainer, comedienne, and actress. She has been referred to as East Africa’s Queen of Comedy by some media outlets. Her comical journey took her from Theatre Factory where she made her debut to Fun Factory where she is currently retained. The group plays every Thursday evening at Uganda’s national Theatre. She also co-presented the MiniBuzz series on NTV where she provided comic video dramatizations of topical issues that random passengers discussed in the taxi.

As of November 2014, Kansiime’s YouTube channel had amassed more than 15 million views and she has appeared on BBC Focus on Africa. She has played to packed houses in Blantyre, Gaborone, Kigali, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, Lilongwe, London and Lusaka.

In 2014, Kenyan based Citizen TV offered her a slot to produce and present a comedy show once a week. The TV show titled ‘Don’t Mess With Kansiime’ was well received by both Kenyan and Ugandan viewers.