ATLANTA, GA - The 2009 Talanta Awards nominees have been announced. Yung Bern tops the list with five nominations in Best Male Artist, Best Upcoming Artist, Best Collaboration, Song of the Year and Best Instrumentalist categories. Hip Hop group Infinity from North Carolina has four nominations in Group of the Year, Best Singing Group, Best Hip Hop Group and Best Upcoming Group. Artists with two or more nominations include Julius Kamau and Julius Sanna who will each compete for Best Artist and Best Male Artist. Others are Sam Mchalongo for Best Artist and Best Upcoming Artist. He will also join Chasemode and D Kamaa for Best Collaboration and Song of the Year for their song Burn Dem.

Kenyan artists with nominations include M.O.G, Daddy Owen, Dunco, Kamau Karongo, Eunice Njeri, Marion Shako, DJ Moz, DJ Soxxy, DJ Lebbz, YRC and Faith Brothers. Athlete of the Year and Best Poet /Writer / Spoken Word categories are the new categories that have been added this year. They have also added Best DJ in the non-US-based section of the awards. Voting is now open and you can cast your vote at their official site www.talantawards.com Voting closes on 31st October 2009.

Talanta Awards will be held on Saturday 28th November at the Christ Harvesters Church in Marietta, Georgia. Organizers have acquired several travel and accomodation deals for those travelling for the event that will be held on Thanksgiving Weekend. For accomodation, you can call Esther Kigaa 404 916 1731. Presto Tours and Travel have very fair deals on flights for conference attendees and you can call 404 542 3515 or 678 402 8004. There is a $10 door charge for the awards ceremony only and the dress code is formal wear.

There will be a Gospel Jam Mega Concert on Sunday 29th November at the same venue starting at 2pm. Artists expected to perform are Lukus Simari, Faith Brothers from Korea, Carol Mbithi, YRC dancers from Nairobi, Julius Sanna, Beatrice Muniu from UK, Pastors Ken Thubei and Njeri Thubei from CA, Chozen Vessels from Greenville, SC, Jonte Kiema of CMG studios TX, Spec of Spec House Media CA, Holy Ghost Boyz, DJ Jey, DJ Fresh and many more.

View more info on Talanta Awards including a tentative program here
Check out the event flyer here

US-BASED CATEGORIES

1. Best Artist
I) Sam (link)
Ii) Julius Kamau (link)
Iii) Julius Sanna (link)

2. Best Male Artist
I) Julius Sanna (link)
Ii) Julius Kamau (link)
Iii) Yung bern (link)

3. Best Female Artist
I) Carol Mbithi (link)
Ii) Kiki (link)
Iii) Sarah Mbogo (link)

4. Best Upcoming Artist
I) Yung Bern (link)
Ii) Faith (link)
Iii) Sam (link)

5. Best Upcoming Group
I) Infinity (NC)
Ii) Holy Ghost Boyz (GA)
Iii) Laborers for Christ (AL)

6. Best Hip Hop Group
I) Infinity (NC)
Ii)  Holy Ghost Boyz (GA)
Iii) Gospel Revivers (GA)

7. Best Singing Group
I) Sifa Voices
Ii) Laborers for Christ
Iii) Infinity

8. Best Praise & Worship Group
I) Sifa Voices
Ii) Laborers for Christ
Iii) Christ Covenant Worship dance (MO)

9. Best Collabo
I) Sam, D Kamaa & Chasemode (Burn Dem)
Ii) Yung Bern & Faith
Iii) Yvonne Makilya & Zaidi ya Mziki (Nani Kama Ye)

10. Best DJ
I) DJ Fresh
Ii) DJ Jey
Iii) DJ Ngugi

11. Best Promoter
I) KenyanGospel.com (DJ Fresh)
Ii) CMG Group (Jonte)
Iii) virtue magazine (Kirk)

12. Best Dance Group
I) Gospel Revivers (GA)
Ii) The Musters (NC)
Iii) Faith Brothers

13. Best Producer
I) CMG (TX)
Ii) SG (AL)
Iii) Felix (MA)

14. Song of the Year
I) Send Me (Yung Bern)
Ii) Burn Dem’ (Sam, D Kamaa and Chasemode)
Iii) Nimwabudu Nani? (Chasemode)

15. Group of the Year
I) Gospel Revivers (GA)
Ii) BIYA
Iii) Infinity (NC)

16. Act of the Year (Person of the Year)
I) Apostle David Karanja (GA)
Ii) Rev Wambui (GA)
Iii) Lucas Kimani (MD)

17. Best Instrumentalist
I) Yung Bern (keyboard)
Ii) Mathew Chesa (keyboard)
Iii) Casey (drums)

18. Best Comedy
I) Kiama (Eliud Kiarie and Mike Maina)(DE)
Ii) Elijah (KS)
Iii) Kevin Ngapiani (IN)

19. Dance of the Year
I) 3:16 (GA)
Ii) Wambo & Wambo (AL)
Iii) Kapungala (Musters, NC)

20. Drama/Play of the Year
I) Kiratu (KACC Youth)
Ii) STL Youth (Christ covenant)
Iii) SMC (NJ)

21. Athlete of the Year
I) Helen Kamau (AL)
Ii) Monica Njeri
Iii) Mark Nyutu (NC)

22. Best Writer / Poet / Spoken Word
I) Minda Magero (link)
Ii) Kenneth Mawira (link)
Iii) Kawira Barine (link)
Iv) Evans Munene (link)



NON-US-BASED CATEGORIES

1. Best Male Artiste
I) Kamau Karongo
Ii) Daddy Owen
Iii) Dunco

2. Best Female Artiste
I) Eunice Njeri
Ii) Marion Shako
Iii) Beatrice Muniu (UK)

3. Best Group
I) YRC (Youth Ready for Christ) Dancers
Ii) M.O.G
Iii) Faith Brothers

7. Best DJ
I) DJ Soxxy
Ii) DJ Lebzz
iii) DJ Moz