We can only air Best International Act Africa if it’s sponsored – Lipede Adewole

With few days to the anticipated 2016 BET Awards scheduled to hold at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, it is quite clear one major topic that has generated a lot of talk in the media on the African continent is what has grown to be called “backstage” or “closed-door” presentation of awards to the winners of the Best International Act, Africa.

With many asserting that the BETs perhaps have hatred for the motherland and does not really appreciate the contributions of the continent musically, Lipede Adewole of Backhome Productions based in LA with affiliations with BET International.

Speaking in an exclusive phone interview with Ghanaian radio presenter William Des Bordes popularly known as Lovin Cee on Fox FM over the weekend, Lipede Adewole explained it would only take time to have what the continent looks for to materialize.

“It took time for BET International to stand strong to even get a category, now that we got a category…”

He also shot down claims that the Best International Act, Africa category was the only one which is not aired live on the night.

“18 different categories are nominated for the BET Awards and only about 3 or 4 are aired on the show so that means the 13 others that are not aired, it is Beyonce or Rihanna and that also includes the BET International Act so it’s just not the Africans that are not being showed on air.

14 out of 18 is not aired on air. The only 3 or 4 that are aired are sponsored. Sponsored nominees categories are the only ones that are aired on BET Awards.

I wanted the whole world to know there’s nothing against the Africans or BET International. It’s a universal thing. There’s not gonna be a lot of time to show everybody nominated on the air because there’s a lot of performances and you know the BET Awards is based on performances.”

According to him, the only possible way to have the Best International Act, Africa category aired live is to have a sponsor raise some money for it.

“It’s never tool late and its something not too high that we can’t climb and grab so we are all working and waiting for that day hopefully someone in Africa has all the big bucks and will say hey, here is my product, here’s some dollars, we want to support the BET International or BET Best Africa nominee, we want to put it on board and that’s how it works.”

The 2016 BET Awards will be held on June 26, 2016.

Nominated in this year’s Best International Act, Africa category are MzVee (Ghana), AKA (South Africa), Wizkid (Nigeria), Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Cassper Nyovest (SouthAfrica), Black Coffee (South Africa), Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) and Serge Beynaud (Cote D’Ivoire)