The Good, Bad and Ugly of 2014 HEADIES Award
Every year it is like Ayo Animashaun’s HEADIES award gets better despite one or two hitches here and there. The 2014 edition of the HEADIES award took place again at the Eko Hotel and Suites with the conspicuous HEADIES logo screaming so loud on the red carpet. As usual, this musical event, which is now being regarded as Nigeria’s version of the Grammy Awards, has its impressive trail of glamorous and fashionable parade of stars, but not all the stars scored well in their outfits.
Ayo Animashaun’s passion for the Nigeria entertainment industry has no bounds as he tries every year to make sure the award night holds whether there is a headline sponsor or not. If the present government of President Goodluck Jonathan is sincere about his support for the Nigeria entertainment industry, people like Ayo Animashaun, who have effortlessly supported the Nigerian music industry, should be involved in his entertainment policy for the country. l still don’t understand MTN’s ‘once in a while’ support of the show; one day they are there and the next they are not. l also think that a big conglomerate like MTN that portrays itself as a top supporter of the Nigeria entertainment industry should not even falter when it comes to big events like HEADIES awards; or is it that someone at MTN is asking for too much from the organisers? It is very irritating that MTN should be seen acting so confused and inconsistent when it comes to supporting and promoting the growth of the Nigerian entertainment industry. Seriously, I ask again, where does MTN stand?
I personally was expecting to see the MTN yellow carpet and to do the usual photo-up my friends and I do on MTN’s yellow carpet.
I was curious so l made inquiries about HEADIE’s not getting headline sponsor this year and, this is what Animashaun said, “I believe it’s important to be consistent and keep growing as a brand and that’s what we have been all about. Brands will also come and go. Even at the World Cup and Grammy level, sponsors come and go. I don’t get too excited when I have them and cry when I don’t. The most important wthing is to push the brand to a level where we will be too important to be ignored. My philosophy is in line with Johnnie Walker brand. I love their slogan...”keep walking”.
Personally, l have issues with the limousine ‘effizi’ rides that is part of the HEADIE’s awards every year, especially with the limousine ride to get to your accreditation tent and then back to the venue of the show. I know Animashaun and his team are trying to give the stars, the VIPs and the VVIPs (Whatever that means) a special treat like it is done during any big award event in the western world but with the kind of space we have at the venues of these events it can’t work. It paralyses and defeats the whole purpose. Guests stand almost forever waiting for these limousines or executive rides to get accredited and l wonder why. As far as l am concerned, it is a stressful punishment for his guests. I spent over an hour going and coming back just to get my VVIP wrist band before l got into the venue. Everybody complained and grumbled inside the limousine and there was no form of refreshment inside the limousine to calm the nerves of the agitated passengers and, because of this, the event which was supposed to have started at 7pm started at 11pm, so you can imagine the frustrating waiting game.
The comperes
Initially, it was supposed to be the duo of Bovi and Toke Makinwa but to my astonishment Basket Mouth emerged with Toke Makinwa. Basketmouth looked so dapper in his outfit; I can’t remember if he ever mentioned who created the outfit and look. Toke’s first outfit was the best of all the crap she wore through the duration of the award. And the organisers didn’t deem it fit to explain why Bovi was left out after the whole promo. I was excited it was Basketmouth who replaced him anyway and he saved the evening from Toke Makinwa’s inability to host a big show. We hope she will do better in the nearest future.
Toke Makinwa
She obviously loves the limelight; she enjoys being called and seen as a celebrity, and she loves the good life of being a star, which sincerely is not a crime and it is equally her business anyway. For me as a journalist, if l am to pick any of the known on-air personalities to interview then Toke Makinwa will never make number 50 on my list because l don’t know what she wants to tell the world about her career and personal life again. Her life is practically on the social network but it is truly her choice. There is no doubt that she works hard and can be aggressive. She probably wants to be the most popular radio personality and, of course, probably has to add the ‘fake it till you make it’ attitude into everything she does. Her strategy is working for her. I actually used to think Toke was so loved and revered by her fans until she co-hosted the 2014 HEADIES awards. Initially, l thought she had butterflies in her stomach, because l have been a
victim before, when l had to present an award to the family of the late Dagrin, who died a month before the award in 2010. When l saw the crowd watching me on stage l was scared and immediately became dump, l was so overwhelmed by stage fright that D1 came to my rescue. Through that short time the crowd booed me off the stage, and it should be worse for a wanna-be ‘celeberity’ like Toke whom l used to think has more fans than the likes of Funke Akindele, Tu face, Genevive Nnaji and co, because that is how Toke Makinwa rates herself. Maybe she thinks she falls in the category of A-list celebrities. Well, to some people she might be.
She almost cheapened and marred the show with her dry jokes and her ‘fakeness’, trying to be who she is not. l think Animashaun imagines his event as a huge joke that was why he opted for Toke. The fact that Toke presents ‘Trends’ does not mean she has the capability to host such a big show and a large crowd. And the crowd was not merciful at all, as the audience made Toke realise she was not wanted on stage; nobody replied her calls or laughed at her jokes. They just wanted her out of the stage every time she came out in any of her horrible outfits which, as usual, were given to her free by designers, who also have fallen prey to her ‘fakeness’. The response was so bad that at a point l felt so sorry for her. Less l forget, l also wore an outfit courtesy of Kina Buti to the awards night.
Her second outfit was a sequin jump suit, which got the audience laughing when she walked up the stage. l didn’t see her at first because I was actually chatting on my blackberry phone, but the laughter from the crowd made me look up quickly. People talked openly not caring who was listening, and l heard from the seat behind me someone asking ‘Why is this girl fooling herself? What nonsense is she wearing and why would she wear a’ Padded Butt’ in this kind of outfit? Another said she looked like she wore pampers, and the comments and laughter at Toke’s foolery went on and on. And l just thought to myself who is actually her stylist? Who is doing this to Toke? Or is she her own worst enemy? She made it worse when she tried to thrill the crowd with the various dance steps which she did badly as the crowd continued to bully and boo her. It was so hard not to laugh, as she kept making jest of herself on stage. Toke invited Julius Agwu on stage to assist her in dancing shoki, and Julius Agwu flawed and also threw jibes at her and her ugly/ funny jumpsuit. It was then with the large crowd that l realised Toke has this ‘we love to hate you kind of personality’. She’s liked as much as she’s disliked and draws negative and controversial attention. In a way, l think she loves anything negative or positive as long she is seen on the pages of newspapers, magazines and for her stories to be on the blogs. For people like Toke any publicity is cool as long people know or read about her. As long as it makes her join the league of ‘celebrity world’ she does not care.
Her third outfit was made in adire with a funny big bow. It was equally ugly and drab; I don’t know which designer made the outfit and, the fourth outfit reminded me of a turkey for thanksgiving. l don’t understand the dress or is it the feathers? Biko, who is her stylist, l ask again and, the exchange of wigs, was that really necessary?
During the awards, she did everything she could to make the crowd happy but they were very hostile to her, to the extent that at one point she had to plead with the crowd to accept and laugh at her jokes or even applaud her efforts to make them enjoy the show, but the crowd still ignored her until Basketmouth as usual came to her rescue. Even her jokes at Basketmouth’s marriage was quickly hushed and halted by him.