After a successful premier last year, Cheka Awards, the country’s first ever pure comedy awards is here for the second edition and the organizers are promising a much bigger and better event.

Washington Juma, CEO, Visionaire Entertainment, has intimated that this year, in addition to the trophies and other goodies that winners will take home, they will also be hosted at an exclusive party at the Meladen Club in Upper Hill after the event.

The nominees for the 2014 Cheka Awards were unveiled four weeks ago at a glamorous event at the Intercontinental Hotel and voting kicked off. The winners for the comedy awards are decided upon by the public through voting via Short Messaging Services (SMS). To vote for your favourite contestant, SMS their code to 2050. Voting closes by midday on 29^th August 2014.

The galla night is scheduled to go down in a glamorous red carpet event at the 680 hotel on Friday 29th August.

Cheka Awards seeks to crown the best in the comedy industry, which has now become a force to reckon with. The competitive categories for these year’s awards are 23 but the organizers have stated that they have an additional three ‘surprise categories’.

1.       Comedy King 2014                                      12. Comedy Queen 2014                   
2.       Best Male Stand-up Comedian               13  Best Female Stand-up Comedian
3.       Best TV Male Sit-Comedian                     14. Best TV Female Sit-Comedian
4.       Best Female Radio Comedian                 15. Best Male Radio Comedian
5.       Best Vernacular Radio Comedian        16. Best New Comedian
6.       Most Comic Swahili Radio Show          17. Most Comic English Radio Show
7.       Best TV Sit-com Show                               18. Best TV Stan-up Comedy Show
8.       Most Comic Article Writer                      19. Most Comic Cartoonist
9.       Best TV Comedy Director                        20. Best Stage Comedy Director
10.       Most Comic TV Advert                              21. Most Comic Radio Advert
11.       Best TV Prank Show                                   22. Best Stage Comedy Production                

Last year, Otoyo and Zulekha were crowned king and queen of comedy respectively with Eric Omondi clinching the Best Stand Up Comedian award.  Will these ‘rib-crackers’ defend their title?