Nigeria: Season 3 of Trophy Extra Special Band begins

The contest, which premiered on 1 October, will run for eight weeks. It will reward the ultimate winner with ₦10 million ($23 000) and a set of musical instruments.

Organisers say the show will enable live bands to thrive and shine in an ecosystem whose key focus is solo acts. “With exciting new additions to the third season, including more technically challenging routines and new music genres for the bands to perform, the show is bound to be incredibly reverberating,” a statement reads.

Popular musicians 2Baba Idibia, Cobhams Asuquo, Made Kuti have been announced as judges for the show’s new season. They will assess and steer the 11 contesting bands, offering guidance and artist development tips. Singer and choreographer Yinka Davies and rapper Illbliss will appear as guest judges.

On their choice of judges for this season, the organisers said: “We are certain they will individually bring their unique signature and wealth of experience to bear and make this season the most memorable one so far.”

“Resilient ingenuity is the hallmark of Nigerians and Africans, whether they live here or any of the other six continents,” Kuti said. “We are innovators, pacesetters, and system builders. You know us, not only by the colour of our skin but by our resilience, and though this is commendable, it is important that platforms are created to support and empower Africa’s geniuses to thrive and shine. The Trophy Extra Special Band competition does this, and I can’t wait to be a part of the incredible journey of identifying and rewarding indigenous originality.”

“We are pleased to work with International Breweries on the production of the new season as it resonates deeply with all we stand for. Nigeria is brimming with incredible talent, and we believe that providing these talents with platforms – such as the Trophy Extra Special Band – it will go a long way in unlocking their full potential," Bada Akintunde-Johnson, who is the country manager for MTV Base parent company, Paramount Africa, said. "Even more crucially, it creates a sustainable means of spotlighting an underserved segment of our music industry.”

Previous winners of the show include Black Tunez and The Bandhitz.

Trophy Extra Special Band airs on MTV Base, DStv Channel 322 and GOtv Channel 72, on Saturdays at 8pm WAT.