Dominic O’Donnell On Music Award Nomination
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermudian music director Dominic O’Donnell said his nomination at this year’s MOBO Awards marked a major step in his career as he continues to build a name in the international music industry.
Mr O’Donnell, known professionally as Domamanic, was nominated for Video of the Year for Back 2 Back, which he co-directed with Skepta, one of the leading figures in UK grime and rap, for the artist’s collaboration with Fred again.
The video, released last summer, spans footage of London from 2005 to 2025 and centres on Skepta confronting a younger version of himself.
It drew international attention and was shortlisted alongside works by Little Simz, FKA twigs and Raye, with the award eventually going to Raye’s Where Is My Husband.
“Skepta’s brother noticed one of my videos online and put him in the know of who I was,” Mr O’Donnell told Bernews.
“He sent me a message while I was in my hotel in Miami, where I was working, saying, ‘Hey bro, when are we shooting?’”
The 26-year-old, from St George’s, said his journey into filmmaking began in Bermuda, where he experimented with video while part of the island’s skateboarding community.
“I was heavily inspired by Burnt House Productions’ Falling off the Rock series of videos and started doing my own versions as a teenager,” he said.
“I was in the skateboarding community and GoPros were popular back then. We would film everything we did — skating, surfing, cliff jumping — and post it on YouTube.
“When I was about 16, I started filming and producing something that was actually watchable and worthwhile.”
Mr O’Donnell later studied in the United Kingdom, attending a boarding school in Brighton before enrolling at the University of Bournemouth, where he developed his craft.
“I was always interested in music, especially rap and hip-hop,” he said.
“We never had any budgets — it was just me and the camera. To make it interesting, I would go all out in the edit with the effects and push that aspect. I lean away from that these days.”
He said a breakthrough came in 2021 when he connected with Bermudian reggae artist Collie Buddz.
“I did a video for him, a song called Twisted Agenda,” he said.
“I was really excited about that, and he ended up taking me on tour with him.
“He showed me a lot of love and took me on as a videographer for a while.
“He really gave me the opportunity to level up and work at a higher level in the industry — that was really great.”
Now based in London, Mr O’Donnell said he is focused on building a distinct visual style and working with top artists and labels.
“I’m aiming for quality over quantity and focusing on trying to work with bigger artists and labels, creating the best videos we can,” he said.
“I want to make things feel high-end and have a strong impact on viewers. I want to have a visual identity that people recognise.
“I’m focusing on music videos right now. Keeping niche has allowed me to climb in this specific area.”
Despite his success, he said breaking into the industry from Bermuda was not straightforward.
“When I was growing up in Bermuda, these sorts of people felt quite inaccessible to me,” he said.
“It can be hard to get your foot in the door in the music industry because we’re a bit isolated in Bermuda and a little limited.
“If you create, work and put things out there, people will see your work, and you can build on that.
“If you make cool stuff and put it out, you never know who will see it and what opportunities will come your way.”
Mr O’Donnell said he now has greater control over the projects he takes on after initially working without pay to establish himself.
“I’m now able to cherry-pick the projects I work on,” he said. “Whenever I find someone I’m interested in working with, I make them a slideshow — a video concept or idea.
“I’m essentially fishing for clients and do that all the time.
“The best people are the ones you want to work with and who have the budget for you and trust you creatively.”
He added that he hopes to continue collaborating with Skepta in the future.
“He’s been a big part of my development as a director, and I have some cool projects on the way.”
Read More About
Category: All, Entertainment, Music, News
Only the beginning
Congrats!