Groove Awards with Safaricom 2018 Nominees Announced
Nairobi, June 6th 2018 – The nominees for the 13 th annual Groove Awards with Safaricom
have been unveiled at an exclusive red carpet event held at the Movenpick Hotel this
evening, which saw artistes nominated in 19 categories with surprise new entries into
some of the most tightly contested spots.
Scoring the highest number of nods is Jabidii, who led with an impressive 7 nominations
including Song of the Year and Teens Choice Song of the Year (in which he received 2
nominations) Breakthrough Artist of the year, Collabo of the year and Dance style/song
of the Year in which he also received 2 nominations. Gloria Muliro followed closely with
6 nominations in Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, twice under the Praise and Worship
song of the Year, Collabo of the Year and Western Counties song of the Year
categories.
This year Male artist, Female artists and Group of the year categories have been
revamped and collapsed into one category- Artist of the Year becoming the most
coveted award of the season. The contenders in this category include the reigning
Female and Male artists of the year – Mercy Masika- who received 3 and Eko Dydda 2
nominations respectively. Other nominees in the Artist of the Year category are
Guardian Angel, Moji Short Babaa, Gloria Muliro and hip-hop group Recapp.
This year, Groove Awards with Safaricom involved the public in the nomination process
and generated a lot of excitement amongst stakeholders and the industry, giving
greater ownership and participation to music fans across the country.
“The announcement of the nominees follows a rigorous process of reviewing 143,684
submissions that the public put in. This year, the process was refreshed to involve the
public for the first time in the nominations process and the feedback has been
overwhelming. We are excited to be unveiling the list of contenders for the 13 th edition
of the Groove Awards with Safaricom,” said Groove panel Chairman Charles Kairu.
“We are truly honoured to be in a position to recognize and celebrate today’s talented
artistes and their contribution to the growth of the gospel music industry.”
The theme of this year’s awards show is: “Rebuild, Restore, Reclaim.” It focuses on the
message of unity in rebuilding and restoring the glory of the gospel industry. It
encourages a spirit of togetherness highlighting the importance of all in working
towards the end goal of shaping culture.
“Through this platform, we have been able to not only reach out to the youth with
positive messaging over the years by harnessing the power of music, while promoting
the gospel music industry in Kenya, the East African region and further afield,” said
Charles Kare, Acting Director – Consumer Business Unit, Safaricom.
He added: “We are proud to be part of the 13 th edition, because we have seen how
wholesome music is transforming the lives of Kenyans everywhere by giving inspiration
and hope and uniting us against various divisions.”
Public voting will begin at 8 pm on Friday 8 th June 2018 and will run until midnight 23 rd
June 2018. Fans will be able to vote via sms by sending the word Groove followed by
the nominee code to 811 or by dialing *811# and following the prompts, or via the
website www.grooveawards.co.ke.
This year’s winners will be announced on 24 th June 2018 at the Gala Awards ceremony,
to be held in Nairobi.
A winner’s concert is slated shortly after the awards ceremony on 8 th July 2018 at The
Embu Municipal Council Stadium and will see all winners meeting their fans to celebrate
their wins whilst appreciating their support during the nomination and voting process.
About Groove Awards
Since 2004, Groove Awards with Safaricom has celebrated excellence in gospel music in Kenya and across Africa. The awards, entering their 13th year in Kenya (and 6th in Rwanda), are this nation’s most prestigious and recognized Gospel music awards, enjoying regional resonance and relevance. Groove seeks to promote gospel music as a message of hope and an avenue to address issues affecting young people across the African continent with a key focus on its main objective – “Shaping culture through positive content and entertainment”. Groove Awards has seen over 1,800 artists/groups nominated and almost 400 Groove statuettes presented to gospel musicians in Kenya and beyond.