Once again, aspiring musicians across the youthful Nigerian population are set for healthy rivalry and empowerment as Nigerian Idol sets to premiere season 8.
The show, which is Nigeria’s most prestigious reality TV singing competition, will premiere on April 23, 2023.Speaking over the week at the media unveiling of the Season 8, which held at MultiChoice Nigeria’s multipurpose studio at Ilupeju, Lagos, the leading pay TV company and organiser of the show, announced that D’banj, Simi, and Obi Asika, the judges of last year’s season, will be returning as judges of Season 8.Also returning as host is IK Osakioduwa, popular TV personality, for a third time alongside Asika, who will also be judging his third season. Simi, superstar, singer and songwriter and D’banj, multiple-award-winning entertainer, are also back for a second time, ensuring the band stays together.
Nigerian Idol Season 8 follows the brilliant success of the past edition that saw Progress Chukwuyem emerge as the winner and walked away with N100 million worth of gifts.It would be recalled that the leading entertainment company announced the return of the show in January, with the online and physical auditions following shortly after. The eighth season will premiere on April 23, 2023 starting with recordings from the auditions. Fans expect to be thrilled by hilarious and beautiful performances from upcoming superstars. The auditions and theatre week will air from April 23 till May 21,2023 so fans can follow the journey of the final live-show contestants. The live shows will begin on May 28 and end on July 16, when a new Nigerian Idol will emerge.
Explaining the reasons MultiChoice is producing the eighth season of the show at the media unveiling, Busola Tejumola, executive head of content and West Africa Channels at MultiChoice Nigeria, said, “Nigerian Idol has continued to offer talented Nigerian artistes the platform to show the continent what they can do and an opportunity to rise to fame through hard work and dedication. 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.
“This year we are thrilled to have our entire panel of judges back – D’Banj, Simi, Obi Asika. They will return to steer the course of affairs. We look forward to a wide array of music and song choices across genres and spectacular performances that together deliver a fantastic show.”
Returning judge Simi spoke about the qualities a Nigerian Idol must possess. She said, “Have a great work ethic and being passionate about your work talent is never enough.”
On the other hand, Obi Asika confessed he was looking forward to beginning the journey of choosing a new winner. He said, “If you are going to make it to the top 20, that is a real fight because there are a lot of people, and many fall off. Every single year, I am upset that we left some people behind. It’s always a battle, but it’s also a pleasure. We are blessed with incredible talents. It is 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.”Also speaking at the unveiling, the sponsors including Tecno and Big, disclosed that the show offers them a platform to reach out, empower the youths and engage the customers better. Nigerian Idol is a platform created to showcase remarkable Nigerian voices to a global audience whilst empowering participants with an opportunity of a lifetime. As usual, the show will bring fans the best entertainment as they watch the individuals with the best talent battle to the top. Over the years, Nigerian Idol has produced some of the most prominent musicians in Nigeria, such as Timi Dakolo, Mercy Chinwo, Kingdom, Progress, and Omawumi, who made a name for themselves in the local and global music scenes. The goal is to produce another superstar at the end of this season.
