Nigeria Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Gary Barlow has left a heartwarming message on social media for a woman who was catfished by someone pretending to be the Take That star online.

Village Roadshow Entertainment Group is staying in business with Kevin Garnett.

Maria Menounos‘ new show “Maria: Discover More” is set to launch on ReachTV. The magazine style talk series will play daily at 2,400 gates at 90 airports and 500 thousand hotel rooms. It will cover travel, wellness, beauty, cooking, fashion, finance and entertainment.

Ezra Collective have shared their firey new single ‘Ajala’ and have announced a 2024 UK and European tour.The blazing new track features rhythmic drums paired with a joyful saxophone and trumpet section and stellar keys and bass line. ‘Ajala’ interpolates the sounds of Afrobeats and Highlife with Jazz.‘Ajala’ also serves as a nod to the nomadic spirit of the infamous Olabisi Ajala, the Ghanaian-Nigerian world adventurer who ambitiously took on touring the world on his scooter, covering 87 countries.Speaking about the song in a press release, drummer Femi Koleoso said: “Ajala the Traveller is a journalist from Nigeria whose story is really beautiful.

EXCLUSIVE: Zero Gravity Management has signed Nigerian filmmaker Editi Effiong, whose debut feature The Black Book last year established itself as Netflix’s most viewed English-language African film.

Big games require big calls. But on Scottish Cup judgement day, it was Philippe Clement who can claim vindication after a week of having his selections smarts questioned.

Leon Balogun admits he was surprised to get the nod to start ahead of Connor Goldson at Hampden.

Emanuel Okusanya Afrobeats has been one of the fastest-growing musical genres of the past decade, but if any further evidence were needed that it has reached new peaks, just look at Nigerian singer Davido: Not only was he nominated for the first-ever Best African Music Performance Grammy earlier this year, he’s headlining New York’s Madison Square Garden tonight (April 17). Born David Adedeji Adeleke, Davido has been riding a steady upward trajectory: His latest album, “Timeless,” broke multiple records in the days after its release: It scored the highest number of first-day streams by an African album on Spotify, 10 tracks landed in the Apple Music US Top 200 songs chart, and the album’s standout track, “Unavailable” (featuring South African producer Musa Keys) sparked a global dance trend.

Having debuted at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, the immigration drama “Aisha” starring Letitia Wright (“Black Panther”) and Josh O’Connor (“Challengers”), is finally coming to North American theaters. Distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Tubi Films, “Aisha” has been set for a May 10, 2024 release.

Cyriel Dessers admits he got a taste for being an Old Firm goal hero on Sunday - only to go too early with his celebration thinking he’d broken his derby duck.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Top Spanish Titles brought to market at MipTV: “Dating in Barcelona,” (Filmax) Produced by Filmax’s Arca, Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and Prime Video in Spain, a first season of “Dating in Barcelona” bowed last year in Spain to big ratings, both on its first-window debut on 3Cat and on Prime Video, where it became one of the streaming service’s most-watched debuts. A modern take on romance and sex in an online age, “Dating in Barcelona” also reflects a swing in TV towards a lighter, more episodic fare, whether in crime thrillers or other categories.

Film at Lincoln Center and African Film Festival Inc. have revealed the slate for the 31stNew York African Film Festival, a lineup that includes more than 50 films hailing from over 25 countries.

Davido is taking legal action over a false news report on April Fool’s Day, which he has deemed “extremely irresponsible”.The Afrobeats artist shared a statement on X/Twitter yesterday (April 2), notifying his followers of a prank story that alleged he had been arrested in Kenya after cocaine was found on his private jet (via BBC News).“Fam, it has come to my attention that false reports regarding an arrest circulated online on April 1st, which has since led to a barrage of calls. I want to assure my fans that these reports are entirely untrue,” Davido began.“I successfully completed my scheduled shows in Uganda and Kenya and have since returned home to Nigeria.”He continued: “I’d also like to note that I have never been arrested by anyone in any country for any crime in the world.

Actor Wunmi Mosaku is the star of ITV's upcoming crime thriller series, Passenger, which is set to air at 9pm on Sunday, March 24 on ITV1. Wunmi plays the lead role of Riya Ajunwa, a Former Met Police Detective who investigates a number of strange crimes that have sent the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale into a frenzy. The first series focuses on a young local girl who disappears without a trace, only to reappear a mere 24 hours later.Then, as further mysterious happenings and more sinister crimes take place, Riya must try and convince the residents that darker forces might be at play.

EXCLUSIVE: Luther and Hijack star Idris Elba is set to direct singer Seal, Nollywood stars Nse Ikpe-Etim (Shanty Town), Eku Edewor (Breath Of Life) and Atlanta Bridget Johnson (Man Of God), and former Nigerian Idol contestant Constance Olatunde in short film Dust To Dreams.

Manchester United will have a new-found optimism for the season after their dramatic FA Cup victory over Liverpool.

Wizkid has argued that he no longer wants to be called an “Afrobeats” artist any longer.Last night (March 17), the Nigerian artist took to his Instagram stories to tell fans that his upcoming album is “done.” In the process, he warned that his sound would be different to his earlier its and shared his frustrations with being labelled an “Afrobeats” artist.“If you like Afrobeats, please don’t download my album!” said Wizkid. “I’m not a fucking Afrobeats artiste! Don’t call me that, hoe! I’m not Afro anything, bitch!'”Wizkid announces his new album “Morayo” is done and that it’s not Afrobeats. He also makes it clear he’s not an Afrobeats artist.

Glastonbury line-up poster has been edited to remove every artist that started their career in grassroots venues – and hardly any names are left standing.The first taste of the festival’s 2024 line-up was shared on Thursday (March 14), with Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA topping the bill.But as revealed by the Music Venue Trust’s edit of the poster on social media, the vast majority of the dozens of names announced so far started their careers coming through the small music venues that now find themselves straining under unbearable pressure in the UK in 2024.Yesterday I was read a quote from a senior figure in the live music industry which ran as follows: “We don’t see any problems in the pipeline for developing the next Ed Sheeran's etc due to grassroots music venues closing, the headliners are still coming”I call bullshit. https://t.co/vGe4RlBUIx— Mark Davyd (@markdavyd) March 16, 2024Only names such as Nigerian afrobeats superstar Burna Boy, the K-pop group SEVENTEEN and Camila Cabello, who rose to fame on the US version of The X Factor, remain when the direct beneficiaries of grassroots venues are taken away.Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd commented on the edited poster, writing on X/Twitter: “Yesterday I was read a quote from a senior figure in the live music industry which ran as follows: ‘We don’t see any problems in the pipeline for developing the next Ed Sheerans etc.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stole the spotlight from Prince William this week with the announcement of the Duchess's new brand. While Prince William appeared at several events — including a visit to the Diana Legacy Awards ceremony — he was overshadowed by Markle's latest business venture. The Duchess of Sussex launched an Instagram page and website for American Riviera Orchard on Thursday.

The Prince of Wales looked smart in a tuxedo as he arrived at the Science Museum in London this evening (Thursday, 14 March) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Diana Legacy Award and present the prizes to 20 lucky winners. Prince Harry will also appear at the event via video call from Montecito and will congratulate this year's inspirational winners.The Diana Award was created to keep Diana, Princess of Wales' belief alive that young people can make the world a better place.

Diana Legacy Awards Thursday night, but his appearance will only take place after his brother, the Prince of Wales, has left the premises.William, 41, will attend Thursday’s awards solo, as his wife Kate Middleton recovers from surgery and the recent photo scandal that rocked the palace.There, he will deliver a speech and present awards to 20 recipients at the ceremony, which takes place at London’s Science Museum.After the ceremony, Harry, who lives in Montecito, Calif., with his wife Meghan Markle, will take a call with the winners of the night.Harry’s refusal to attend the awards in person comes just weeks after he lost his bid for taxpayer-funded UK security protection for his family.The Diana Award charity, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, was set up in memory of William and Harry’s beloved late mother.The awards are handed out to young people between the ages of 9 and 25 who have contributed to their communities through humanitarian work.“The Prince [of Wales] will meet key staff and supporters of the Diana Award, before joining the ceremony where he will hear about the recipients’ work, make a short speech, and present Legacy Awards to this year’s winners,” Kensington Palace told The Post in a statement.“After the ceremony, the Prince will meet all the award winners who have traveled from around the world, representing countries including Australia, Bangladesh, the Cayman Islands, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Romania, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.”The estranged brothers have appeared alongside one another at previous award ceremonies in the past.However, since the Sussexes stepped down as senior working members of the royal family in 2020 and subsequently moved to the US, his

Netflix’s has unveiled a slate of female-led African projects to coincide with International Women’s Month.

Marta Balaga David Pérez Sañudo (“Ane is Missing”) and Carlos Vila Sexto (“Motivos Personales”) are ready for a different kind of hero in “Detective Touré.” A six-episode series, backed by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Detective Touré AIE, Tornasol Media, DeAPlaneta and Basque state TV EITB, the series is based on stories by Jon Arretxe. The series first caught attention when selected as a project at Series Mania’s 2022 Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. Sneak-peaked at Content Americas in January, it was one of the highlights at its Spain Content Goldmine.

French director Claire Denis is set to return to West Africa for her next feature film, an adaptation of late French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès’s 1980 work Black Battles With Dogs (Combat de nègre et de chiens).

Ice Spice is sharing some of her biggest musical inspirations. The fan-favorite singer, who is proud of her Dominican and Nigerian roots, revealed to Billboard that she listens to her favorite artists on repeat, including Lana Del Rey, and Rihanna.How Taylor Swift and Ice Spice became Hollywood’s new best friendsKaty Perry reunites with Taylor Swift and dances along to ‘Bad Blood’Taylor Swift at Coachella? Why fans think she might perform with Lana Del ReyThe rapper previously revealed to Complex that one of her go-to albums is Lana’s 2014 ‘Ultraviolence.’ “I’m obsessed with her, and I feel like all of her songs are hits, even the ones that aren’t as big as the others,” Ice Spice said about the singer’s discography.The pair also posed for a photo at the pre-Grammys gala at the Beverley Hilton in Los Angeles. During her interview with Billboard, the rapper mentioned the rest of the musicians she listens to.

Thania Garcia Justin Timberlake has recruited a slate of collaborators including Nigerian singer Fireboy DML, rapper and singer Tobe Nwigwe and his former NSYNC bandmates for his upcoming new album, “Everything I Thought It Was.” Timberlake teased NSYNC’s involvement in his first solo album in five years on TikTok last week, responding to an eagle-eyed fan who had caught the band name on the tracklist while Timberlake was previewing the set’s deluxe vinyl edition. NSYNC is featured on a single called “Paradise,” which is the band’s second single of the decade following “Better Place,” a song featured on the “Trolls Band Together” soundtrack.

EXCLUSIVE: 3Point0 Labs, the talent management house headed by former CAA agent and Francis Ngannou manager Marquel Martin, is launching a talent and literary advisory division with the signing of The Black Book producer Anakle Films.

Christopher Vourlias The anticipated goldrush for African creators sparked by Netflix’s 2016 entry into the market hasn’t entirely come to fruition, though the influx of investment from local and global streaming platforms has nevertheless been transformative for Africa’s screen industries. Budgets, production values and outputs are rising, and breakout hits — such as Netflix’s Nigerian thriller “The Black Book” and South African teen drama “Blood & Water” — highlight the power of global streaming services to deliver African stories to audiences around the world.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The Nigerian rapper Burna Boy, one of Africa’s biggest superstars credited with introducing the rest of the world to afro-fusion music, is the face of the latest campaign from the Dutch clothing brand G-Star Raw. The collaboration, which officially launched on Feb.

Christopher Vourlias Akin Omotoso, the filmmaker behind Disney Plus’ Giannis Antetokounmpo biopic “Rise,” has been attached to direct “The Plot to Save South Africa,” an adaptation of Justice Malala’s gripping book about a 1990s white supremacist plot that almost plunged the young democracy into civil war. “The Plot to Save South Africa” will be produced by Johannesburg-based production outfit Ochre Moving Pictures, which signed a deal with Netflix last year to adapt multiple books for the streaming service alongside Omotoso.