Animashaun: Headies Awards, My Childhood Dream

By Oladipupo Awojobi

Ayo Animashaun was virtually unknown until he decided to take the bull by the horn and come up with an idea that could add value to music – organising awards for Hip-hop musicians.

Less than two decades ago, Hip-hop brand of music was not popular in Nigeria. But since the revolution started, the Nigerian music industry has not been the same again.

Talk of the Remedies, later Blackface, Tuface, Faze, X-Factor and then the likes of Davido aka OBO, Olamide, the late Da Green, Adekunle Gold, Wizkid, Falz, Phyno and Tiwa Salvage amongst others, it is certain that Hip-hop music has come to stay in Nigeria.

Headies Awards started 12 years ago as “Hip-hop Awards” to motivate Hip-hop artistes and further develop the industry to meet international standard.

The man behind Headies Awards, Ayo Animashaun, revealed that music had been his pastime from childhood. Adding value to music has been his desire but that also comes with its ups and downs.

“It has been up and down, sponsorship today and no sponsorship tomorrow. It has never been rosy, it has been very difficult. When we say it is difficult, it is not just about the budget, it has to do with so many things.

“The audience keeps getting matured for music awards. You need to do a lot to get things going, you need to constantly and consistently educate the audience,” Animashaun said but added that he was undaunted by the challenges.

For him, the industry is growing, the industry is picking up, and Nigerian Hip-hop artistes are the leaders on the continent and are doing well in the world.

This not withstanding, Animashaun believes there are still areas of improvement, especially on the awards.

Comparing Headies Awards and other music awards in Nigeria  with Grammy Awards in the United States, Animashaun believes that Nigeria is not on its way to meeting the standard.

“It is just like how soon can we start making aeroplanes? Or how soon can we start making Bentleys? We are far away from where they are, but music wise, we are closer than anything.

“What do we produce in Nigeria apart from food that we grow? Have you seen any Nigerian producing laptop or aeroplane?

“We are running our own race, we are not competing with them, though we try to meet up with the international standard. It is like Nigeria is not ready infrastructure wise, or in any way. But music wise, we are there and it is driven by the private sector, some organisations have been supporting the industry” he enthused.

While he would not be deceived that the Nigerian Hip-hop artistes are up there, he insisted that the country is making good progress.

“Just recently, Wizkid sold out tickets in a  20,000 capacity venue outside the country, it is amazing, that is big for Africa. But we are still far from getting there, we still have a lot of work to do. But in music, we are closer,” he stated.

What about motivating factor? Surprisingly, Animashaun said he was not motivated by money, adding that if it is money, he would have stopped a long time ago.

“I feel I should just continue. Whether there is budget or there is no budget, fortunately I am able to do it. I normally get my way around it, I lose a lot of money sometimes, but money is the last thing that motivates me,” he said.

One thing the passionate music enthusiast would not do is to venture into other music categories with his Headies, as he revealed that he was covering the urban culture. He said it would not be a bad idea if other people organise awards for Juju, Fuji or Apala.

“We are just doing our own and developing it by the day.  In the last awards, we added six or seven more categories. We have a nomination process for all of them.”

To many people, many awards organisers are sentimental, but for Headies Awards, credibility is the watchword, according to Animashaun. He said Headies Awards has an academy for the screening, while an external organisation handled the last awards and voting was done on their portal.

The organisers, he said, have nothing to do with the results, as results are opened on the stage in front of everybody.

On how the government could support the industry, he said, “The industry is not growing because of government’s support. The government is doing their own thing, they have not been supporting the creative industry.

“But the government can still do a lot. The government should just build more infrastructure and give us the things we actually need. On piracy, it is not only in Nigeria. It is not going to stop, it is difficult to stop piracy in the world.

“They should just create an enabling environment for us, when we see them one on one, then we can talk not going through the media, it is not going to work.”

Animashaun is not bothered about mediocre and charlatans in the industry. He said: “There are always people like that in the music industry, those that will buy their works would buy them. It is just like football, if you don’t score goals nobody will sign you on.

“There are always jokers in every industry; banking, politics, law and what have you. If you don’t have anything tangible, you will fade out” he said.

On what he does at his spare time, Animashaun said he plays squash, goes to the gym and spends time with members of his family to relieve tension.

He reiterated that he had been in love with music from childhood and that he loves entertainment, which later became his work.

His advice to others out there is to “do what you love doing, add value and money will come.