Iryn Namubiru:PAM Awards Artist Of The Year 2011

IRYN Namubiru says she has always had a passion for singing since her childhood and always strove to make this talent a bigger part of her life. And here she is, the PAM Awards Artist of the Year 2011. 

Namubiru has beaten all to the prestigious annual music award. Kalungi Kabuye - Contributing Editor,Society and Lifestyle  - was at the awards.

 SUNDAY 1.04am: And the Artist of the year (drum roll)… IRYN NAMUBIRU! And she says it was the year of the girls, and that’s it folks, thanks for sticking with us, we leave as Iryin is soaking up the adulation. 

12.54am: Okay, the last one, the big one, Artist of the year, but first a group is performing… did I mention the erotic dance by Trishlaa? 

12.48am: Has Straka lost her touch? She’s cracking joke but the crowd does not seem moved, oh and Iryn picks a third award, Album of the Year.

12.44pm: Isaac Mulindwa, the smooth operator that he is, uses the break to go around greeting everybody in the VIP section, and I mean everybody!

12.29pm: Bebe Cool is Male Artist of the Year, did I mention he is wearing a tuxedo? And he dedicates the award to Bobi Wine and Chameleone, and Radio & Weasel… he tells them the most important thing is for an artists to show up, win or not. Oh well...

12.25am: Iryn wins Female Artiste of the Year, and goes with her mum to receive it. Four awards left to give out…

12.22am: Audio producer of the year goes to Paddyman, as it starts to rain outside, darn. I hadn’t looked up for a while but all VIPs finally showed up, place is full.

12.00am: Mid-night, and Bebe Cool sings Minzani. He doesn’t mind if he is not Artist of the Year as long as Iryn wins it. Oh yeah? Who’s he kidding?

SATURDAY 11.57pm: Strange category, the next one: Best Folk Pop artist of the year, anyway Maurice Kirya, who is out of the country on tour, wins it.

Walukagga again, this time for Kadongo Kamu Artist of the year, and the English attempts go on to the crowd's amusement. But it lasts for all of two sentences and it’s back to the mother tongue, Luganda.

 11.50pm: We are getting close to the big one, me thinks, just about 5 categories to go. There hasn’t been a slow moment so far, with Gordon Wavamunno saying a few words, in Luganda.

11.47pm: Navio finally leaves his corner to go pick the hip Hop artists of the year award. How many coloured kanzus does this guy have? This one is blue!

And finally an award for Chameleone, Best Afro Beat artist of the year

 11.42pm: Yeah, she did it, Kaitikiti is Song of the Year; welcome, Angela, to the big time. Let’s see, that is the second category that Iryn loses out on, will it all become good with the Artiste of  the Year? But so  far those are two for Angela, with possibly Album of the Year award, though I don’t remember her releasing an album. Oh well…

11.33pm: Who wants to bet that Angela wrote her acceptance speech? Finally, a Grammy moment… 

11.30pm: Best Live Band single, and the award goes to… Katikiti, Angela Kalule’s first ever PAM Award and marking a remarkable year. Will it be Song of the Year? Watch this space…

11.28pm: And Iryn takes the Best R&B single for Birowoozo. Dennis Kavuma escorts Prince Wasajja to hand over the award and promptly takes over proceedings, ha ha ha

 11.24pm: Has anybody ever heard Aziz Azion speak English? He thanks all his fans, in Luganda… 

 11.22pm: Angela Kalule does Katikiti and everybody in ‘kirussia’ is on their feet, good song but am I the only one who thinks that baseline is not really it?

Meanwhile Aziz Azion beats out Iryn for Best R&B artist of the year.

11.00pm: It’s eleven o’clock, can’t believe we’ve been here for the last 5 hours, as Bebe Cool dedicates his award to ‘maama wa baana bange’ Zuena, who is beside him on stage. Straka asks him when their wedding will be but he gives no clear answer. hard to believe a year ago this guy couldn't walk and his wife had left him. What's a  year between friends?

 10.58pm:Best Reggae Artist/Group ........ Bebe Cool!

10.50pm: Angella Kalule on stage right now...

10.45pm: We are into another break, after Radio & Weasel win Best Afro beat single for the song Talk n' Talk, but they are not around to receive it.

10.35pm: while talking to Mike Mukula, Kazoora eye's Mukula's watch.....

10.15pm: Phew, a break at last, and MUN G, Mr 'Too Much', gives us a song... and why is Navio and the Talent Africa group tucked up in a corner? "we don't like lights," he says. yeah, right...

 ......waiting for a break, stuff is happening fast... 

10.05pm: Kazoora to Iryn: who do you think is your biggest threat for Artist of the year?
                   
                   Iryn: just smiles

Best Song writer of the Year is Nice Henry (Birowoozo) and Best Gospel Artist Pastor Anthony Bugembe. Best Video of the Year goes to Agasi (Jackie Ch