Entertainment

23 Entertainers To Watch Out For In 2023

Published

2 years ago

December 31, 2022

2022 was a good year for Nigerian entertainers, and 2023 promises to be even better. In no particular order, Saturday Beats takes a look at the entertainers that will most likely make things happen this year

Wizkid

Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid has continued to consolidate his prime position in the industry. In November 2022, just days after he released the album, ‘More Love Less Ego’, the singer had a sold-out concert at the Madison Square Garden in New York, United States of America. It also claimed the number two spot on the US World Albums (Billboard) chart; as well as number 15 on the UK RnB albums chart.

The singer again made history in 2022 when he became the first African to headline the Rolling Loud Festival in Toronto, Canada.

Indeed, all eyes will still be on ‘Big Wiz’ in 2023.

Asake

No one saw him coming. Call Asake the rave of the moment and that will amount to belabouring the obvious. The YBNL artiste broke records with his ‘Mr Money With The Vibes’ album. When it was released, it set a new record on Apple music after becoming the African album with the most first-day streams, as well as the most opening three-day streams. The singer also headlined shows outside Nigeria. Sadly two lives were lost after a stampede at his concert at the Brixton O2 Academy, London, United Kingdom. After paying condolences to the victims, the singer has continued to do what he knows how to do best.

Burna Boy

Burna Boy’s vocal dexterity attests to why he is one of the most sought after musicians in the world at the moment. The Grammy Award winner continued to set records in 2022. His sixth studio album, ‘Love, Damini’, set a record as the fastest debut for an African song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Its debut on the UK album chart at number 2 also made history as the highest charting afrobeats album in the UK.

The ‘Last last’ crooner was also one of the winners at the 2022 edition of the MOBO Awards. He carted home the award for the ‘Best International Act’. Last year, he became the first African to sell out the prestigious 20,000-capacity State Farm Arena in Atlanta, USA.

Having been nominated for the 2023 Grammy Awards in the ‘Best Global Music Album’ and ‘Best Global Music Performance’ categories, fans of the singer already have many things to look up to from him.

Davido

David Adeleke, aka Davido, is not just talented, he also has a resilient spirit.

On October 31, 2022, the news of the death of his only son, Ifeanyi, left him grieving, and many of his fans distraught. However, the singer has chosen to ‘stand strong’. Earlier in 2022, he sold out the 02 arena in London.

He was one of the entertainers who flew Nigeria’s flag at the FIFA World Cup 2022. He performed at the closing ceremony of the tournament in Qatar. The singer was also named the ‘Most Popular’ and ‘Most Searched Male Musician’ while his fan club – 30 BG— emerged the ‘Most Popular (Music) Fandom’ by NET Honours in 2022.

Adekunle Gold

Just like his moniker, Adekunle keeps shining like gold. In 2022, the singer embarked on his ‘Catch Me if You Can’ tour. He sold out the Toronto, Canada, venue of the concert weeks before the show.

Tems

Singer, Openiyi Temilade, professionally known as Tems, had some major career achievements in 2022. The ‘Crazy Things’ singer was nominated for the Golden Globes Award in the Best Original Score in a Motion Picture category. American rapper, Future, sampled Tems’ vocals on his Billboard hit song, ‘Wait For U.’ The sampled song which made the track’s chorus is ‘Higher’, a song from Tem’s Extended Play album, ‘For Broken Ears’. She also won the ‘Best International Act’ award at the 2022 BET Awards.

She performed at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival in Accra, Ghana, as well. Needless to say; her fans are expecting even more from her in 2023.

Deyemi Okanlawon

Deyemi Okanlawon is undoubtedly one of the most sought after actors in Nollywood at the moment. He featured in some of 2022’s biggest movies, including ‘Brotherhood’, ‘Blood Sisters’, ‘Elesin Oba’, ‘The Wild Flower’ attest to his star power and acting prowess.

Bimbo Ademoye

No doubt, 2022 was an eventful year for actress, Bimbo Ademoye. She played different roles in quite a number of acclaimed movies, including ‘Anikulapo’. She also started a YouTube channel where she shares funny content.

Ruger

Singer, Ruger, is ending the year on a high note with his song, ‘Asiwaju’. The video for ‘Asiwaju’ which was released weeks ago already has 3.7 million views on YouTube.

He had been nominated in The Headies 2022 ‘Next Rated’ category. He has been tipped to make headlines in 2023 with his groovy tunes.

Kizz Daniel

2022 is a year that Kizz Daniel will not forget in a hurry. Two of his songs, ‘Buga’ and ‘Cough’, dominated the music industry. As of the time of filing this report, ‘Buga’ had 107million views on YouTube.

However, the singer also had his fair share of scandals when he was arrested in Tanzania for failing to perform at a concert he had been paid for. Prior to that, Daniel had also arrived late for a concert in the US. However, he is apparently living up to his billing of having ‘no bad songs’.

Oxlade

Singer, Oxlade, wormed his way into the hearts of many with his track, ‘Kulosa’, a love song which further emphasised his talent. As of the time of filing this report, the song had 11 million views on YouTube. He also released the remix of the song featuring Cuban-born American singer, Camilla Cabello. Eyes are on him to see what he would deliver in 2023.

Phyna

Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, became an instant millionaire when she got the winning the N60m prize money.

She also showed that she could have a future in Nollywood, as she featured in one of Broda Shaggi’s skits.

Singer, Daniel Benson, aka Bnxn (formerly Buju) was tipped as one of the entertainers to watch out for in 2022, and he lived up to expectations. His Extended Play album, ‘Bad Since 97’ got rave reviews from both fans and industry stakeholders.

In September 2022, he won The Headies 2022 ‘Next Rated’ award.

Ayra Starr

Mavin Records singer, Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, aka Ayra Starr, is definitely not an artiste one should underestimate. Her song, ‘Rush’, was one of the tunes that dominated the airwaves in 2022.

The track also made a former US President, Barrack Obama’s Top 2022 Songs list.

She was also Boomplay’s most streamed female artiste of 2022.

Iyabo Ojo

Outspoken actress and filmmaker, Iyabo Ojo, did not appear in many movies in 2022 but she regularly set social media abuzz with her her humorous videos on Tiktok and other antics. She was one of the cast members of ‘The Real Housewives of Lagos’ TV series.Many of her fans were shocked when Ojo on her birthday about two weeks ago, unveiled the love of her life, Paul Okoye, better known as Paul O, who is a showbiz personality. He is one of the go-to guys when it comes to getting endorsement deals for artistes.

Toyin Abraham

Despite not appearing in many movies in 2022, Toyin Abraham bagged several endorsement deals. In an interview with media personality, Ebuka Uchendu, she referred to herself as one of the richest actresses in Nollywood. She recently released her movie, ‘Ijakumo’, featuring Kunle Remi, Antar Laniyan, Bimbo Akintola and others. As of the time of filing this report, the film had already made some cool millions, and was poised to make even more.

Don Jazzy

Singer, producer and record label executive, Don Jazzy, is undoubtedly one of the most influential personalities in the music industry. His Mavin Records is home to top artistes, such as Ayra Starr, Johnny Drille, Ladipoe and Crayon.

The businessman bagged endorsement deals in 2022, appeared in skits, and started a business, ‘Jazzy’s Burger’.

Sabinus

In a space of months, Chukwuemeka Ejekwu, aka Mr Sabinus, transformed from being an emerging content creator to becoming one of the most popular skit makers in the country.

He did not just win the ‘Content Creation Award’ category of the AMVCA 2022, he bagged some endorsement deals as well. His skits, especially because of his facial expressions and mannerism, continue to resonate with Nigerians. In the course of the year, he hosted his own show in the UK, and another one in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Rema

Call Rema one of the biggest Nigerian artistes of 2022 and you won’t be wrong. His ‘Rave and Roses’ debut album charted 10 songs on the US Billboard Afrobeats Chart following its release. As of the time of filing this report, the video of his hit song, ‘Calm down’, had attracted 301m views on YouTube. The song also made Obama’s song list.

Meanwhile, fans will not forget in a hurry how in November 2022, he sold out the O2 Brixton Arena, London.

Macaroni

Adebowale Adedayo, aka Mr Macaroni, has continued to maintain a place as one of the leading skit makers in the country. His influence is also felt in the area of human rights, as he relentlessly fights for the rights of others.

In 2022, he clinched several endorsement deals and won many awards. This was even as he regularly spoke at events to empower young Nigerians.

Kunle Remi

From wining the Gulder Ultimate Search competition in 2010, Kunle Remi has grown in his acting career. Undoubtedly his most popular role so far, Remi acted the character of ‘Saro’ in Kunle Afolayan’s movie, ‘Anikulapo’. He also acted as a pastor in Toyin Abraham’s movie ‘Ijakumo’.

TG Omori

ThankGod Omori, better known as TG Omori or Boy Director, is a talented music video director and cinematographer. He directed the music video for Kizz Daniel’s hit song, ‘Buga’. He has also worked with artistes such as Burna Boy, Asake, Fireboy, Mayorkun, Olamide, Pheelz and others.

Portable

Love him or hate him, Habib Okikiola, aka Portable, has constantly been in the news for both good and bad reasons since he came to the limelight in the latter days of 2021. This was after his song, ‘Zazuu Zeh’, featuring Olamide and Poco Lee, became a hit. As of the time of filing this report, the song had 10 million views on YouTube.

Meanwhile, his antics on and off the stage have been widely talked about. On several occasions, he fell out with colleagues and other entertainment industry stakeholders.

Indeed, many people have their eyes on the singer to see what he will do in 2023. Though some are of the opinion that he will soon fizzle out of relevance, his fan base has actually been increasing.

PUNCH

Entertainment

Netflix Hikes Subscription Fees In Nigeria Again

Published

18 hours ago

June 4, 2025

Editor

Streaming giant, Netflix, has increased subscription prices in Nigeria for the third time in less than a year.

This most recent rise is the first one for 2025.

Updates on the company’s website seen by PUNCH Online show the new pricing.

Under the new price, Netflix’s Premium plan now costs ₦8,500 a month, up from ₦7,000.

The Standard plan jumped to ₦6,500 from ₦5,500.

The Basic plan rose to ₦4,000 from ₦3,500, and the Mobile plan is for ₦2,500, up from ₦2,200.

This follows two earlier price hikes by Netflix in April and July 2024.

The Nigerians’ new round of economic pang
Nigeria currently faces challenges of rising living expenses, a falling naira, and record inflation.

This follows the recent hike in tariffs by Nigerian telecom providers by as much as 50 per cent.

The parent company of DStv and GOtv, MultiChoice, announced new prices that took effect on March 1, 2025.

MultiChoice announced that the price of the DStv Compact bouquet was increased from ₦15,700 to ₦19,000, reflecting a 25 per cent increase.

The price of the Compact Plus package increased from ₦25,000 to ₦30,000, and the premium DStv package saw a rise from ₦37,000 to ₦44,500.

For GOtv subscribers, the Jinja package increased from ₦3,600 to ₦3,900, and Jolli from ₦4,850 to ₦5,800. The GOtv Max plan rose to ₦8,500 from ₦7,200, Supa climbed to ₦11,400 from ₦9,600, and Supa Plus increased to ₦16,800, up from ₦15,700.

Netflix has yet to release an official statement.

Entertainment

Many Men Coming After Me, Not Sure Who To Pick — Nollywood Actress, Angela Okorie

Published

2 weeks ago

May 25, 2025

Editor

Nollywood actress Angela Okorie has opened up about the overwhelming attention she’s receiving from men since her public breakup with oil magnate, Oil Money, expressing uncertainty about who to trust.

Speaking on her current ordeal about suitors, the movie star reposted a message suggesting that good women are rare and often taken for granted by the wrong men.

“A good woman is not easy to find nowadays. You have to steal her from a careless man who doesn’t value what he has,” the quote read.

She questioned if this was the reason behind the recent flood of admirers in her inbox. “Is that why there are so many guys on my DM? God abeg o. I’m running for my life, and I don’t know who to trust anymore,” she wrote.

Her remarks come weeks after she confirmed her split from Oil Money, a relationship she had once showcased on social media. Angela explained that she had to end things due to his unfaithful lifestyle, branding him a pathological liar and narcissist.

In a previous post, she revealed that despite blocking him on all platforms, her ex continued to reach out through friends and even begged for forgiveness after tarnishing her name online. Angela also shared evidence of messages where he pleaded with her to return.

The mother of one has since vowed never to flaunt another man publicly unless it leads to marriage. “It’s all deception,” she noted, warning other women to be cautious about romanticizing public relationships.

Earlier this year, the actress had clashed with a notorious Instagram blogger over false claims about her love life, making it clear that she would no longer tolerate the spread of misinformation.

“Too many good guys in my DM, but who’s real and who’s fake?” she quipped.

Entertainment

Alleged $1m Fraud: P-Square’s Peter Lied About Education, Royalties, Bank Access–Defence Lawyer

Published

2 weeks ago

May 24, 2025

Editor

In a dramatic turn of events in the ongoing fraud trial involving Nigerian music star Peter Okoye of P-Square and their former manager Jude Okoye, the defence counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, on Friday accused Peter of deliberately misleading the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with false and contradictory claims.

The EFCC had arraigned the defendant alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd on a four-count charge.

In one of the counts, Jude and his Northside Music Limited allegedly dishonestly converted the sum of $767,544.15 to his use.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In his evidence in chief on May 16, Peter had narrated how he was allegedly defrauded by his brother Jude and Northside Entertainment.

However during cross examination, on Friday, defence lawyer, Onwuenwunor pointedly told the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi that Peter’s testimony was riddled with inconsistencies and outright fabrications intended to mislead the EFCC and tarnish the reputation of the defendant, Jude Okoye.

During a heated cross-examination, the defence discredited Peter’s earlier statement to the EFCC in which he described himself as a graduate of the University of Abuja.

Contrary to that claim, Onwuenwunor revealed that Peter had, in fact, dropped out of the institution.

When confronted with the discrepancy between his oral claims and written EFCC testimony, Peter attempted to backtrack, stating that he had only said he “attended” the university.

However, the defence tendered the EFCC’s documented records in which Peter specifically described himself as a “graduate,” prompting him to admit in open court that he had not completed his studies.

Onwuenwunor further presented documentary evidence proving that Peter and his twin brother Paul were not only aware of but also had signatory access to Northside Entertainment Limited accounts.

Contrary to Peter’s earlier claim that Jude Okoye was the sole signatory and that he had no access to financial dealings, the defence produced a bank mandate clearly stating that Jude was a Category A signatory, while Peter and Paul were Category B signatories.

The defence counsel also submitted bank statements that showed Peter personally withdrew large sums in both naira and dollars from the company’s account.

There were also multiple direct transfers made to him by Jude Okoye. These records stood in direct contradiction to Peter’s sworn statement that he never benefited financially from the company or from any deals executed under Jude’s management.

Onwuenwunor also questioned Peter over his claim regarding royalty payments from Mad Solutions, the company handling the P-Square music catalogue.

Peter had previously testified that he was unaware of the contract with Mad Solutions and had only received $25,000 and $20,000 in royalty payments, implying that Jude had siphoned the larger share.

But the defence countered the narrative by presenting documents to the court confirming that the agreement with Mad Solutions was signed by all three parties—Jude, Peter, and Paul—and that each had equal entitlement to royalty payments.

The document contrary to Peter’s assertion, according to the defence, revealed that he actually received $4,330.47 and $5,837.35 as his first and second payments, respectively—figures far lower than the $25,000 and $20,000 he claimed under oath.

“Peter’s testimony before the EFCC is riddled with lies and misrepresentations. He has made multiple assertions that have now been shown to be false under cross-examination. This is not just a matter of forgetfulness. This is an intentional effort to mislead investigators and this honourable court,” Onwuenwunor told the court.

Justice Oshodi, while admitting several of the bank documents and EFCC statements into evidence, advised the defence to ensure all documents are made available to the prosecution ahead of further proceedings.

“If you intend to use a document, make it available to them to make the trial faster,” the judge said.

The trial was adjourned to October 10 and 17, 2025, for continuation of trial.