Nigeria Showbiz Latest News and Updates

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.

Apparently, 90 Day Fiancé stars Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanm got into an altercation — long before he suddenly left her this month!

It’s only been two months since 90 Day Fiancé star Michael Ilesanmi moved to the United States from his native Nigeria to live with his American wife who is more than two decades older than him. And he’s already flown the coop!!

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Universal Music Group has announced a majority investment in the Nigeria-based Afrobeats powerhouse label Mavin Global (Mavin). The label, based in Lagos, is home to such hits as Rema’s “Calm Down” — the Selena Gomez-featuring remix of which was No. 12 on Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers chart and is the most-viewed video on YouTube by an African artists — and other artists including Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille and more.

Naman Ramachandran MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Paramount Global and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have partnered on “In Bloom,” a short film anthology focusing on gender equity. Directed by emerging female filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, India, the U.S. and Brazil, the anthology addresses a range of issues including period poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, HIV self- stigma, family planning and women’s economic empowerment.

Porsha Williams is ending her marriage.

Burna Boy made a reported $12million from eight concerts.The figures were shared by ChartsAfrica on X (formerly Twitter), and showed that the Nigerian singer-songwriter is responsible for eight of the 10 highest-grossing concerts by an African artist over the past two years.The figures took into consideration his eight shows across 2022 and 2023, and revealed that the gigs brought in approximately $11.8million (£9.31m).Gigs taken into account included his slot at La Defense Arena in Paris, which brought in $2.86million, his slot at Madison Square Garden ($1.58m), Ziggo Dome in the Netherlands ($1.56m) and Capital One Arena in the US ($1.43m).Other shows featured his slot at The O2 in London ($1.35m) as well as more US shows at BMO Stadium ($1.22m), State Farm Arena ($905,024), and Oakland Arena ($885,278).The remainder of the Top 10 list includes both of Wizkid’s shows at Madison Square Garden, which brought the artist a combined $1.95 million.However, as reported by Business Day, the figures aren’t to imply that Burna Boy went home with the full amount calculated, as that figure will have been split to cover costs from his team, the venues, promoters, marketing and tax laws.The outlet also draws attention to a report from The Guardian, which tallied out the various deductions from artists’ touring incomes – noting that taxes account for between five and 35 per cent, and public performance royalties count for just under one per cent.

Sebastien Haller completed a fairytale comeback as the cancer survivor fired the Ivory Coast to African Cup of Nations glory on home soil.

Carlos Aguilar The graceful movements of 12-year-old Anthony Madu, a boy from Lagos, Nigeria, with a zeal for ballet, are inherently cinematic: arms stretched out to the sky, his body contorting like a determined feather fending off a gust of wind, just before he pirouettes with elegant agility that commands attention. At school, however, he faces constant bullying since his passion doesn’t fit his country’s traditional gender role expectations.

EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights for Emilio Estevez’s The Way: Chapter 2, reuniting the actor-director with the cast members of his original 2010 hit, father Martin Sheen, Yorick Van Wageningen and James Nesbitt.

Walk along Seafield Road and nothing appears out of the ordinary. Charming old terraced homes line the quiet residential street.

Cameroon coach Rigobert Song has denied the suggestion that he has fallen out with Andre Onana after he was dropped for the crucial Africa Cup of Nations win over Gambia last week.

Andre Onana's Manchester United return will be delayed after Cameroon secured a dramatic victory to qualify for the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Burna Boy, Luke Combs and Travis Scott have been added to the lineup of performers for the 66th annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy announced on Sunday, joining previously announced artists Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. Additional acts, presenters and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb.