The umbrella body of disc jokeys (DJs) in Nigeria, also called Deejays is set is set to hold the maiden edition its award and recognition on the 6th of December, 2024.
The Deejays Association of Nigeria(DJAN) made the announcement at a press conference in Abuja, saying among other things, the upcoming event seeks to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Nigerian DJs who have contributed significantly to the growth of entertainment industry, particularly music.
The Project Consultant/CEO of Leadership SCORECARD Magazine, Mr. Humphrey Onyima at the press conference noted that the upcoming award ceremony will be an opportunity to recognise the role of DJs by providing a platform that highlights their importance and influence within the entertainment ecosystem.
He noted that the event will equally inspire future generations of Deejays, showcasing disk jockey (DJ) as a legitimate and influential career path for everyone.
“We are aiming to promote professionalism within the DJ community by encouraging excellence, creativity, and innovation and document the historical contributions of pioneering DJs who have shaped Nigeria’s sound culture”, Onyima noted.
While emphasizing that the maiden edition is created to give honour to whom honour is due, he is of the opinion that without the activities of the deejays, some of the songs which helped shape our existence, taught us morality and humane disposition would have gone into extinction.
“The history of Nigeria’s music industry will not be complete without the tireless efforts of the Nigeria DJs, the deejays are the lifewire of the music industry in Nigeria.
“Their contributions cannot be over-emphasized. They have contributed immensely to the growth and success of the Nigeria music industry. The deejays are always refreshing our memories by playing the music of the Legends of Nigeria music industry, such as Fela, Onyeka Onwenu, King Sunny Ade, Danmariya of Jos, Oliver de Coque, Osita Osadebe etc. Without the efforts of this deejays, the music of these legends would be forgotten” he stated.
He added, “our objective is to address the gap in recognition for DJs in existing music and entertainment awards shows by creating a dedicated platform that honours their contributions, inspire them to innovate and push boundaries in music mixing, event curation, and music production.
“We want to celebrate their roles in promoting and preserving Nigerian music and culture across traditional and contemporary genres. We also hope to through this medium, encourage young talented and upcoming deejays to view deejaying as a viable and influential career path, thereby nurturing the next generation of Deejays and lastly, help foster collaboration between DJs, artists, producers, and other key stakeholders in the music industry”.
On his part the National President of the association Mr. Christian Edeh (DJ perfect international) stated that the association is organizing competitions amongst the upcoming deejays to help discover talented deejays and support them to achieve their dreams.
He said, “In addition to the proposed awards and recognition, we are equally organising competitions which we termed ‘ mixed master championships (MMC), it has already kicked off in the six Geo political zones of Nigeria. This will help discover talented and passionate deejays, create healthy competition among them and help them to achieve their full potential”.
The Nigerian Copyright commission (NCC) represented by Mr. Olatunji, promised to continue to support, guide the organization and keep them informed about the copyright laws and in Nigeria.
The association has over five thousand registered members across the 36 States of Nigeria and the FCT.
Other stakeholders at the event include, Deputy national president of the association, Mr. Thomas Abah (DJ Tomee tee), Secretary General, President emeritus of the association, and some executive members from regional and State branches.
Others are, Mr. Alex Nwankwo the MD/CEO of Amity Global Network and Abuja Popular PR practitioner, Media mogul and event host Dr. Ayuba, Mr. Ayo Ogedende, CEO Eagle team media and director BoardRoom Resources LTD, Artist GullyRider and others.
The venue of the award ceremony is expected to be announced at a later date.
