Whether EMA or AFRIMA, let’s all celebrate musical achievements

Did you know you can support Wizkid and Davido together, and you will not die? Go ahead, try it. You will discover that you are still on earth and the sun will still shine tomorrow.

This past weekend brought up some strong competition in the Nigerian music industry. In Lagos, The third edition of the All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) was holding. While in London, MTV Europe Music Awards (MTV EMA) brought the international scene together. Wizkid and Davido were the two constants of both events, competing at the highest level of prizes.

And they were both successful. While Wizkid owned the home front, picking up three awards at AFRIMA, Davido galloped away with two trophies at the EMA. These stars, hard working Nigerians with great music, got recognized via two different platforms.

But that wasn’t enough. The Wizkid-Davido rivalry reared its head once more. Fans of both artists launched World War 3 on social media with each house attacking each other. OBO and Starboy have fan-armies, drawn along lines of personality and sound preferences. And when they go head to head in any endeavour, the knives get drawn.

Davido on his part threw in a catalyst, shading AFRIMA after Wizkid swept home the awards for the Best Artist in West Africa, Song Of The Year, and Artist of the Year. And Wizkid threw in a reply with his favourite frog emojis.

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Fandom is a pointless exercise, it does make the wait between now and our deaths much fun, but it is generally meaningless. But I do understand why people are moved to battle. People are emotionally connected to one star, over the other. They probably love the elegance and skill of Wizkid. Or they are instantly sucked into the vibe and exuberance that is Davido’s signature demeanour. The affiliation creates a strong sense of duty, which would make people gravitate and pledge allegiance.

While this battle has its primary use of pushing Wizkid and Davido into making better art, fans should understand one thing: You can support them both, appreciate their art, and enjoy the music without losing anything.

Trust me, Wizkid and Davido are fine. They are rich young men, who are chasing their passions and having fun while at it. Understanding that you don’t need to be caught up in their drama and pointlessly attack each other, is a major key to enjoying their art.

And for the awards, whether AFRIMA or EMA, it’s a thing of beauty to see our creatives recognized on many levels. Wizkid and Davido have interchangeably won both awards, and continue to do so, based on their impact and the spread of their music. It’s all positive. Generating negativity from it is simply stupid.