A year ago, Pulse introduced an awards system for the influencer network in Nigeria and across the African continent. Known for being a Pan African media publishing company, Pulse’s established presence in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Uganda put them in a unique position to curate the workings of the influencer economy across the continent and it was only logical for them to step into that opportunity gap with the Pulse Influencer Awards [PIA].
It’s only one year since inception but that big idea is inching ever closer to perfection and absolute acceptance, as observed on the night of Saturday, October 15 2022 at the Queens Park Event Center, Oniru, Lagos State. PIA rose to the occasion by bringing together a hearty blend of big vibes, happy connections, good food, great music and of course, a recognition of the influencers who have broken the mold and done great things in the past year.
Themed ‘Afro Excellence’ and driven by viable partnerships with brands like ShowMax, Crocs, Tiger Beer and Anker Innovations amongst others, Pulse awarded influencers in categories such as fashion, music, podcasting, photography, food and sports. See full winners list here.
What stood out above all others was how improved this year’s event was compared to last year’s. In the review for the 2021 Pulse Influencer Awards, here’s what this writer observed:
"It has to be said that there were teething problems - that’s not unexpected of a concept yet full of so much potential… one hopes that… organisers of this awards… can acknowledge how much of a great stride they’ve begun with, and the vast ground that can still be covered in order to make the Pulse Influencer Awards an unignorable force to reckon with in years to come."
On covering vast grounds towards a well-polished product, it was obvious that a lot of work went into the 2022 iteration of PIA. Anyone at the 2021 event would tell of how glaring the differences were. This year’s was better and glitzier, helped by the decision to give it a theme. The turnout was better, and while the marketing and buildup to this year’s event can [and we suspect will] be improved in the next iteration, due credit still has to be given to the organisers for putting out quite a show.
Overall, finetuning this brilliant idea is a task that the creators of this product seem to relish. Last year we mooted Pulse Influencer Awards’ relevance and influence for years to come. Seeing yesterday’s ceremony lends more credence and feasibility to that assertion. We won’t be betting against PIA upping the ante even more next year and in the years to come.