By Ayo Onikoyi

In a spectacular display of talent, determination, and sheer artistry in performance, the 3rd season of the biggest variety talent show in Africa, De9jaspirit Talent Hunt, has just been concluded leaving the audiences spellbound and eager for the next season.

With the top 5 talents performing against each other in a showdown of wills on 29th October 2023, the grand finale was sensational.

The venue for DTH Live Shows was previously at the heart of Calabar but was later moved to the outskirts of the City.

This move broke a record attendance of at least 3000 people during the weekly performances and almost 5000 people at the Grand Finale, a significant mark in industry history.

Offering valuable critique and mentorship to the contestants throughout the season, the judges’ table this season boasted of the best professionals in the industry who brought their vast expertise to the table.

They include: Dr. Sid, a popular Afrobeats singer, songwriter and producer, IK Ogbonna, Nollywood actor, model, producer and serial entrepreneur, Ini Edo, renowned Nollywood actress, producer, director and entrepreneur, and Liquorose, a professional dancer, choreographer, model and actress.

Guest judges, Reekado Banks and Real Warri Pikin made special appearances during the season, adding their spice to the show.

Emerging as the winner of the 2023 season was the Exoduz Dance crew, comprising Goodluck Imeh Thomas (the leader), John Joseph Akpan, and the heart-stealer of the season, 6-year-old Chikambo Annabel Obioma.

They won a whooping cash prize of N10,000,000, a brand-new car, and an all-expense paid trip to Kenya and the Maldives.

Coming in 2nd place was the enchanting Bisiryu Abraham Adeyemo, popularly known by his stage name, Mollythevibe. He went home with the sum of N3,000,000.

Taking 3rd place was another crowd-favourite, Promise Effiong. He secured the sum of N2,000,000 for his position as 2nd runner-up.

Season 3 of DTH not only captured the hearts of viewers but also caused a significant stir on various social media platforms.

The show’s official social media accounts experienced an unprecedented surge in followers and views, thanks to the dedicated fan base that rallied behind their favourite contestants.

Another factor that contributed to the remarkable global establishment of Season 3 was the extraordinary support it garnered from celebrities and popular Afro-culture bloggers, who took to their own social media accounts to praise the show and its contestants. Their endorsements and reposts acted as a beacon, directing an influx of global recognition toward the De9jaspirit Talent Hunt.

Some of the notable celebrity engagements include:

Taraji P. Henson, the renowned Hollywood actress, reposted a performance by Exoduz Dance Crew on her IG page, which garnered over 11 million views.

Chris Brown, the American singer and songwriter, shared a performance of Clouded Moves to his IG story,

Tiffany Haddish, popular comedian and Hollywood actress, followed the official DTH handle on IG,

Diamond Platnumz, the popular Tanzanian singer and dancer, reposted a performance by Exoduz Dance Crew,

Psquare, the popular Nigerian music duo, shared a performance by Jay Davids.

This caused the official DTH social media pages to record significant increases in followers; 1M followers on Facebook and TikTok, and 636k followers on Instagram.

Contestants’ performance videos on the DTH official social media pages saw a remarkable surge in views, with certain videos outperforming others by a significant margin. Notably, one video garnered a staggering 11 million views on Instagram, while another achieved an impressive 5.2 million views on TikTok.

The collective endorsement of these iconic figures also sparked a social media frenzy, with fans and enthusiasts from around the world tuning in to witness the magic unfold on their screens.

Hosted by V.J. Adams, popular video jockey, TV presenter, musician, and executive producer, Season 3 of De9jaspirit Talent Hunt has crowned its deserving champions, launching them into stardom in their respective fields.

With the energy and captivating dance moves of the Exodus Dance Crew, the transcendent voice of Mollythevibe, and the sensational vocal performances from Promise Effiong, we are all braced to witness their rise to global stardom.

The world of arts and entertainment welcomes these top talents.