THE MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are upon us this weekend and MTV Base is sending the bubbly presenter Nomuzi Mabena (pictured) to cover it for the African viewers.
“I have never been in the States before and so I think it is going to be a cultural shock for me with so much to take in,” Mabena said.
“I hear every time you go there for the first time as an entertainer, it opens up your mind. So more than going there for work, I just hope to learn a lot about the interview at an international level,” she added.
The VMAs are notorious for oddball incidents that make them memorable, even if for the wrong reasons. one year Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech arguing that Beyoncé was better. Then last year, Miley Cyrus shocked the world when she twerked for Robin Thicke during a performance. With all this in mind Mabena is anticipating an even bigger show this time around.
“The VMAs are notorious for being one of the most controversial award shows in the world so it is going to be amazing. There has to be some sort of drama and I am happy to be present this time,” she said.
While Mabena has been to all local awards ceremonies, the VMAs give her exposure to artists whose videos she presents back home.
“As an MTV VJ the VMAs are the awards I love the most because they focus on music videos. It is going to be great to see who owns the night. Beyoncé looks like she will be getting a lot of action because she has eight nominations. In general I think that it has been a good year for music and it will be quite cool to see what the production will be like this year.”
Mabena will be teaming up with 5FM’s Roger Goode to document the events from their arrival in LA.
“We have been mandated to give Africa a peek into all the things that we will see for the time that we will be there. Roger has a different following and so it will be cool to see what he thinks his people would like to see. I have a few ideas on what I think the MTV Base viewers would like to see. We are both crazy and supercharged and so it will be interesting to see what we bring combined,” she said.
While they will probably have the time of their lives, Mabena pointed out that she had another mission to complete before all is said and done.
“I am hoping to meet all influential women who I aspire to be one day. I will be looking for queens through and through. It is women’s month and so I have to bring that to them and hopefully learn something,” she said.
• The 31st Annual MTV Video Music Awards airs on MTV (DStv channel 130) at 3am on Sunday and repeats on Monday at 9pm.