Nominees announced for MTV Alert concert

The six artists nominated for MTV Alert with Motorola are:

• PRO-kid
  
• 985
  
• Blk Jks
  
• Tuks
  
• Cassette
  
• The Dirty Skirts

Members of the public will decide which South African bands, from a shortlist selected by MTV base, will be battling it out to get themselves a performance slot at MTV Alert with Motorola, as the channel pits rock against kwaito and hip-hop in a music face-off.

Comments Alex Okosi, vice president and general manager, MTV Networks Africa, "I think music fans are going to be intrigued to see what happens when the public is given the power to choose the line-up at an event like MTV Alert with Motorola. Homegrown rock plays an important part in SA popular culture and this is the first time that MTV base has included this genre in one of our events and it would be great to see how rock fares vs urban genres like rap and hip-hop. The decision is in the hands of the fans, but which ever way it goes, with this calibre of nominees: it will be a night to remember!"

"From hip-hop to jazz, kwaito and rock, the line-up reflects our approach to our customers and the diversity of our product portfolio," says Sarit Reouveni, Motorola head of consumer and brand marketing sub-Saharan Africa.

Footage from the MTV Alert with Motorola event, taking place at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, on 16 September 2006 as part of the City of Johannesburg's 2006 Arts Alive initiative, will feature as part of MTV base's new MTV Alert with Motorola TV series, which includes a monthly half-hour 'rockumentary', focusing on a key African artists, as well as daily 30-second vignettes on MTV base. The show aims to get under the skin of the best contemporary music talent emerging around Africa, illuminating the music and style that defines them and their fans.

To find out more about the upcoming MTV Alert with Motorola event, visit www.mtvbase.com/alert or www.hellomoto.com.