Nigerian comedian AY has revealed that some Nigerian artistes now charge as much as N200 million to perform at his AY Live comedy show.
He also disclosed that some artistes who are yet to become major stars now demand as much as N80 million for appearances.
AY made the revelation while discussing how the cost of booking Nigerian music stars for AY Live has changed over the years.
He said Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide have all performed at the show, adding that their appearances were previously made possible largely through personal relationships.
“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.
AY attributed the increase to the growth of the Nigerian music industry, saying artistes now earn from streaming, international endorsements and other opportunities that pay in foreign currencies.
“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 further disclosed that even artistes who are yet to become established now demand huge fees.
“Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million,” AY said.
He added that having a strong personal relationship with an artiste could make it easier to secure their appearance.
“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.
