Nailah misses out on BET award

SOCA star Nailah Blackman missed out on winning the BET award for Viewers’ Choice: Best New International Act, on Sunday evening. South African singer Sjava won the prize which was announced by pre-show host Terrence Jenkins at Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California.

Blackman was among several nominees at the pre-show.

Jenkins asked the artistes which star they looked forward to meet the most and Blackman answered, "Nicki Minaj because she's from Trinidad and Tobago." Minaj, an award-winning rapper, was born in St James.

Blackman's local hits include Sokah, O'Lawd Oye and Baila Mami.

The BET award was based on online voting and Blackman's mother Abbi led a call to get locals to vote for her. She said her daughter's success was the legacy of her late grandfather Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman) hailed as the father of soca.