During a joint press briefing, the Deputy Director of Tourism (MTCA), Idrissa Tonkla Bangura informed the Media and Entertainment Stakeholders that the 2017 Red Carpet National Entertainment Awards is the maiden edition of the Sierra Leone Red Carpet Entertainment Awards. He also added that, the event aimed at rebranding and promoting the image and rich culture of Sierra Leone through entertainment and tourism.
Mr. Alhaji K. Tarawally, CEO of LAKE Production Entertainment Company, explained that, on Wednesday 1st March, a press conference was held at the ministry’s conference room where nominations were officially closed after three weeks of intensive nationwide nomination process. He said these nominations were successfully done by different entertainment sectors in Sierra Leone including heads of record labels, film production companies, sports writers and entertainment veterans. He added that, the acts with the highest nominations are those that made it into the final list of the 2017 NEA Award Nominees.
The Director of Media and Communication of LAKE Production Entertainment Company, Sulaiman Stom Koroma disclosed that, this said event would be a glamorous celebration of artistry, ingenuity, creativity, honouring excellence in Sierra Leone film making, music, sports, and comedy and cultural heritage. He said public voting will commence on 20th March, and close on April 21st, 2017.
There are forty (40) awards categories that will be available for public voting starting on the 20th March 2017. Mobile Based and Online Voting for the Final Shortlisted Nominees for the 2017 NEA Awards will be done via…
a) Mobile Based Electronic Voting Platform control by iDT LABS
b) Facebook Automation Voting Platform control by iDT LABS.
c) Short Code Voting System via Four Digit Code (2017) with either Africell, Smart or Airtel
d) Public Opinion Pool with the Mobile Base Electronic Voting Platform number would be supervised by AWOKO newspaper via daily front page publication.
e) PLEASE NOTE: The Official numbers for both short code and mobile based electronic voting would be announced before the commencement of the National Voting Process.
Notably, this year National Entertainment Awards will take place on Saturday, 29th April 2017, under the Distinguished Grand Chief Patronage of His Excellence, President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.
