ORGANISERS of the country’s premier arts awards, the , said preparations for this year’s event were going on smoothly, promising a memorable ceremony.
The awards that recognise and rewards excellence in creativity and talent in the creative sector were established in 1985 by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) through an Act of Parliament.
The 21st edition of the awards will be held under the theme: Unlocking Dreams on February 25 at the Harare International Conference Centre.
Stakeholders in the cultural and creative industries, including production houses, studios, stables, galleries and artists have already submitted their works for the awards.
This year’s theme song Unlocking Dreams featuring Nyasha David, Mwenje Mathole and Ulethu has already been released and is available on all streaming platforms.
NACZ is working with event managers Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation (JCMC) and other partners to organise the event.
JCMC managing director Tinashe Kitchen told NewsDay Life & Style that a number of opportunities and dreams will be unlocked for artists at this year’s edition of the awards.
“This year’s edition of Nama awards is going to be historic. We are entering the final stages of preparations for Nama awards and all the performing artistes for the ceremony have been secured,” Kitchen noted, adding that rehearsals were underway.
- Creatives urged to plough back into communities
- All set for Nama Golf Day
- Arts council extends Nama entries submission date
- Schools battle for honours at Jikinya Dance Fest
Keep Reading
“The adjudication process, done by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, is underway and the nominees will be announced ahead of the event.”
At this year’s edition of the awards, Kitchen promised that there will be a lot of surprises and a musical theatre which will be supported by state-of-the-art technology, including video capturing and transmission.
“Nama is committed to providing a platform for our artists to shine. This year’s line-up of performers features artistes from various genres across the country. We also have a few special guest performances,” he said.
“As event managers we are happy to continuously push the boundaries of what is possible in Zimbabwe and beyond. We have an innovative and yet to be seen stage design that will be introduced for this year’s event.”
He continued: “We are grateful to our leading sponsors for their support to make the awards ceremony possible.”
Among the star-studded line-up of performers at the ceremony are songbird Gemma Griffiths, mbira queen Hope Masike, Mai Titi, Tocky Vibes, Poptain, Feli Nandi and poet Obert Dube.
Also to perform at the event is gospel singer Mathias Mhere, hip-hop stars Saintfloew and Holy 10, dancehall singer Freeman, Andrea the Vocalist, songstress Ammara Brown, urban groover ExQ and DJ Tamuka.
Kitchen, however, challenged artistes to perfect their craft in order to make a global appeal that he believes will open up opportunities for partnerships both locally and internationally.
