Groove Awards winners 2014 announced

NTV's gospel show 'Crossover 101' won the Best Gospel TV show award Sunday night during the Groove Awards gala night, held at the KICC.

One of the show's hosts, DJ Mo, also won the Best DJ award.

The glamorous event, hosted by NTV's news anchor Victoria Rubadiri and DJ Soxxy, was the ninth edition of the awards since its inception in 2004.

Most of the winners were upcoming musicians who managed to knock down the veterans in different categories.

The biggest winners of the night were Sarah K, who bagged three awards, including the Female Artiste of the Year, and singer Bahati, who bagged the Male Artiste of the Year award.

Even though Sarah K was not at the event, her son and producer received the awards on her behalf, saying that the singer was in a performance tour in the US.

Bahati, who was also a performer in the event, thanked all those who voted for him.

The Song of the Year award went to new comer Pitson, for his 'Lingala Ya Yesu' hit song.

In the Collaboration of the Year category, Betty Bayo's song with Mr Seed, 'Ngai Ti Mundu', managed to beat veterans like Rufftone and Daddy Owen to win that award.

In a tougher category, singer Size 8 managed to beat veteran singers like Jimmy Gait, Alice Kamande, Daddy Owen and DK Kwenye Beat in the Video of the Year category.

New comer L-Jay Maasai also managed to beat other veterans like Emmy Kosgey, among others, to win the Rift Valley Song of the Year award, with his song 'Laleiyo', featuring Shiro wa GP.

The Lifetime Achievement award went to fallen singer Peter Kaberere, who died early April this year, for his outstanding contribution as an event organizer and gospel singer. His wife Njeri Kaberere was there to receive the award.

This year's guest of honour was Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, who is her speech promised to review the revenue stream in the music industry.

"I'm sure musicians make a lot of revenue off the sale of their music, but what gets to the musician is not more than 20 per cent. My ministry will take responsibility and review that," she said.

A total of Sh2 million was pledged to go towards the winners of the awards, and also part of the money is meant to support a charity of their choice.

The 16 winners will also have a chance to have lunch at State House with President Uhuru Kenyatta, according to Ms Waiguru.