Nigerian singer, Victory Gbakara has emerged winner of the season eight edition of the Nigerian Idol.
His emergence as the winner was announced on the show on Sunday.
Gbakara closed off the season with a performance of Blessed by Wizkid.
He will receive a grand prize of N100m, which includes N35m in cash. Additionally, Gbakara’s victory comes with a music record deal and a video shoot opportunity.
The Season 8 edition of the show started Sunday, April 23, 2023.
The show’s finale took place on Sunday night, featuring captivating group performances by all the contestants, alongside the judges. Leading the chorus of the performance were D’banj, Simi, and Obi Asika, who performed “Hall of Fame,” a song by the Star of Copenhagen, Switzerland released in 2014.
Hosted by IK Osakioduwa, the 2023 edition premiered in April and ran for 10 weeks, from April 23 to July 16, with live shows airing during this period.
The winner just received the coveted grand prize – including N35m cash, a brand new SUV, one Bigi Refrigerator and one year’s supply of Bigi soft drink, an all-expense paid trip courtesy Tecno, a music record deal by a reputable label that will include a video shoot, one year supply of WAW detergent, and a fully installed DStv Explora with one year of Premium subscription.
Victory will join the elite group of winners that have emerged since the show’s return in 2021. He will now be considered peers with talented alums, Kingdom Kroseide, who took on the title in 2021 and Progress Chukwuyem, who won in 2022.
While reflecting on Victory’s performances all season long, Obi-Asika, one of the judges, said he has always been a star as his potential was evident right from the auditions stage.
He added that the judges are proud to watch him grow throughout the competition and emerge as the show’s winner.