Nigerian Idol Season 8 to premiere this April

The news was made public at a press briefing on 28 March, following an open call for virtual and in-person auditions in January.

The music reality show, produced by Africa Magic TV and geared toward discovering Nigerian musicians aged between 16 and 30 years, will air on DStv and GOtv.

This year’s winner will be crowned on 16 July with a package comprising ₦30m (about $65 000) in cash, among other prizes.

Previous winners of the competition include Mercy Chinwo, Moses Obi-Adigwe, Evelle, K-Peace, Kingdom Kroseide and Progress Chukwuyem.

“Nigerian Idol has continued to offer talented Nigerian artists the platform to show the continent what they can do and an opportunity to rise to fame through hard work and dedication,” MultiChoice executive head of content and West Africa channels Busola Tejumola said.

“It is a rare chance to gain access to the hands-on mentorship provided by the judges, our vocal coaches, the world-class production team and the choreographers that altogether unveil the intricacies of the industry to these talents and a chance for them to hone the skill in readiness for their contracts.”

Meanwhile, Season 8 of Nigerian Idol will see the return of broadcaster IK Osakioduwa as the show’s host, with D'banj and Simi joining industry veteran Obi Asika on the competition’s jury panel.

“If you are going to make it to the top 20, that’s a real fight because there are a lot of people, and many fall off,” Asika said. “Every single year, I’m upset that we leave some people behind. It’s always a battle but it’s also a pleasure. We are blessed with incredible talents. It’s one of the things that make Nigerians special. These amazing talents come through every year, and I can assure you that there are special people this season.”