OPINION : HEADIES AND WHAT WENT WRONG.

Yesterday's Headies award was a big flop and that's like the understatement of the century, I'm sure twitter users know how people felt about it as many felt it was more interesting on twitter than on actual TV. Bad sound system, check. Bad graphics, double check. And it's all on the organizers.
But the biggest flop of the night?  That was it's attendance and that's not on Headies unless it was their duty to actually go door to door to invite artistes.

I just think our artistes were too childish this time around... I'm  a phyno fan but he acted really stupid coming on stage and saying "no comment" when he was to make a speech.Dear Phyno, choose your battle wisely. The Olamide you are forming alliance with has enough headies to his credit. Don't stunt your growth and change the quiet hustler attitude you're  known for to start being petty its too early in your career.Too much ego and pride.  This isn't based on the credibility of the award: one thing I've learnt so far is that awards cannot satisfy everyone. In fact, most times, the least deserving get the awards and I know how that can feel... Like a rough slap on the face of an artiste that put in so much. But at the same time, we can't all get recognition through awards; some will win, some will lose...it's  the balance of life. I personally wanted Ycee to win the award for the Next rated but thinking about it, Mr Eazi wasn't a bad choice either.

Even Grammy award has been criticized for generally awarding more commercially successful albums rather than critically successful ones. In 2011, a journalist criticized the award for being "mired in the past and out of touch with the new media and trends".  Following the loss of Eminem's album as the album of the year in 2002 and Kanye West's in 2007, several people expected the awards to lose  it's credibility due to the public outrage and backlash that followed their decision not to award the deserving artistes. Steve Stoute,  a music executive and author said the show had become a series of hypocrisies and contradictions among other colorful and non colorful criticisms. Even Kanye pulled a "Kanye" on Grammy and it hasn't in any way affected it's attendance nor has any artiste felt it was their right to stand with him... Because they all know it's an award, not a do or die affair. And that's Grammy awards, one of the biggest entertainment awards in the world with million of people waiting on it every year. It still enjoys unwavering attendance and recognition over the years despite the controversies that have repeatedly trailed it.


My point is: if artistes don't attend the Headies, it's not on Headies or the organizers. It's on our artistes who can't stop thinking  awards are the only rewards for their hardwork or get over their pride and know that awards aren't just attended by nominees: it's for the entertainment industry in Nigeria. And if none of them can't get over controversies, it's on them. One thing I still don't get however is why they'd make a big deal over whatever happened in the past years(s)  and think they're God's gifts to humanity. Yes, it was a flop without them but it held and for me and a few, that's all that matters. I just think we should leave equality to God and try not to put Headies on the same pedestal as international awards because that wouldn't be fair.

And the funniest part?  It's not all of them that had out of town gigs that night. Some of them were  actually in the comfort of their homes, seeing it on TV and thinking of how much failure it was without them there. Some of them were even in their suites in the same Eko Hotels and didn't come. It's so sad to see that these same artistes that were buttlicking these awards when they were upcoming now think they're too big for these awards or too big to attend because the last one didn't go their way. I mean it's so easy to celebrate your first win, then make people your enemies when you lose. Some people even think they already have too much of it, so attending the award to collect more or support others is too taxing for them. And I personally don't think since the inception of Headies, any artiste has come forward to say that they collected money or bribes from him or her to be nominated or to win an award. So as far as that's not there and there hast been such accusations, the award remains the most credible in Nigeria.

A few weeks back, MTV EMA rescinded Wizkid's award as the best African artiste after a few days and gave it to Tanzania's Ali Kiba. No one treated it like it was the biggest terrorist attack in the world because it wasn't Nigerian, so they had the grace to mess up. But despite this, I know for a fact that next year, it won't affect it's attendance and credibility to the majority.

When our own home artistes think they're beyond attending home awards, how can our home awards he African recognitions not to even talk of international acknowledgements?  None of the nominated African artistes of the year showed up either and that's to show that the way they belittled the award is how others treated it.

When you don't win an award, it's not a discouragement, it's a huge blow to the ego, I get that but it's also an opportunity to prove that you can be more. Many believed Kiss Daniel deserved to win Next rated last year but this year, he won 3 of the biggest awards of the night.

If I put my all into being good and I know I've tried my best, if you still don't respect me, it's on you.
I watched and I must say apart from the occasional delays in calling the awards and the mediocre performances from most of our "new school" artist, it all went pretty well.