Nigerian comedian AY has spoken about the rising cost of booking music artistes for comedy shows, saying major Nigerian stars now command significantly higher appearance fees.
He made the remarks while discussing the changing cost of securing artistes for AY Live, explaining that performers who once appeared mainly through personal relationships now have more lucrative opportunities outside comedy shows.
AY said Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide have all performed at AY Live, with some of their earlier appearances facilitated through friendship.
“For many years, since the beginning of AY Live, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Olamide have all performed at AY Live,” he said.
“In those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship. An artiste would accept any reasonable amount to cover their logistics, but today, the Nigerian musicians charge N200 million, N120 million, N80 million to appear on my show,” he added.
According to AY, the growth of the Nigerian music industry has changed the financial value of artistes, with performers now earning through streaming, international endorsements and other opportunities.
“The industry has changed that today the Nigerian musicians are global stars, they earn from streaming, international endorsements, several other opportunities that come in foreign currencies. So they no longer depend on comedy shows for visibility,” he said.
The comedian also said the high fees extend beyond established stars, claiming that some emerging artistes now request substantial sums for appearances.
“Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million,” AY said.
He added that personal relationships can still make it easier to secure an artiste for a comedy show.
“The reality is that if you don’t have a strong personal relationship with any of these artists, bringing them to a comedy show can really be expensive,” he said.
AY Live is an entertainment event founded by the comedian, combining stand-up comedy with musical performances and other entertainment acts.
Ademide Adebayo
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