The very successful Voice Achievers Award 2014 has come and gone. Days, weeks, months and years later, the 2014 edition will be remembered as the watershed moment not only in the annals of African award ceremonies in The Netherlands but in Europe and beyond. This is not only because of the impressive array of business leaders, ambassadors, politicians, celebrities etc., it is also because of the way it was organised. Everyone knows that an African event never starts on time let alone end on time. It is also a given that the highlights of most of these (African award) ceremonies are the long, boring and uninspiring speeches by guests and hosts alike. We have been at award ceremonies where people just slept through the whole process.
Like other African awards, this edition started a bit later than advertised. But if you were there on time, you will see why it started later. There were so many television crews interviewing the guests on arrival. Guests were busy having a drink at the bar mixing pleasure with business. It was not because the organisers themselves were late or did not have a clue about what they were doing. Of course some of the guests (perhaps thinking this was another African time event) were late. But we dare to bet that come next year they will be punctual. Why? Instead of waiting for the last of the late-coming guests to delay the event for the punctual guests, the chief host and publisher of the Voice Magazine, Elvis Iruh, just went to the podium to announce the commencement of the proceedings. He said those who come later were welcome but we were going to start without them! Very un-African! Bravo!
There was glitter, there was glamour. The speeches! Well to say they were short, concise and inspiring would not be doing justice to the winners and the hosts. The speeches were also uplifting, celebratory, funny and thoughtful. If there was ever an African award ceremony where people looked even happier as the evening went on, this was it. You knew you were witnessing something special. The keynote speaker of the evening, Fatou Bensouda (chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of Justice at The Hague) was short and concise in her speech. It was not one of those speeches that went on and on. The artists who performed were great and the food was delicious. Yes, it was a buffet where you ate as much as you could and the menu was as varied as it could be. No wonder the queue was from here till Tokyo!
Before you knew it the evening was over and ahead of schedule! But you did not go home without collecting some Voice Magazine commemorative goody bags to take home. With so many people flying to The Netherlands from as far as the United States, Spain, Nigeria, South Africa, Italy, United Kingdom etc. it was the least you could do to say thank you!
Was it only hosanna during this 3rd edition of The Voice Achievers Award 2014? No! There were certainly a few points that need looking into. The technical aspects, for example. The way the podium was placed made it sometimes difficult for the television crews to have good shots of the awardees. The award night had a strong Nigerian flavour. More than half of the awards went to people who either are Nigerians or who live and work there. We think if this award is to be truly African, one needs to broaden its appeal even more.
That being said, we were there during the 1st edition of the awards 2 years ago in Amsterdam. We almost could not believe the difference between then and now. The Voice Achievers Award has just raised the bar to a height we doubt any other African Award organisations in The Netherlands or Europe can reach. The message Africa Web TV got from the organisers of the award ceremony is very reassuring; “this is just the beginning. You haven’t seen anything yet! We can’t wait till the 4th edition in 2015.
