National Arts Council Revamps NAMA
The annual National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) have always been regarded as the most prestigious arts awards in Zimbabwe.
However, just like any other awards ceremony in the country, NAMAs have not been spared the backlash that usually accompanies such occasions.
From the adjudication processes to the nominations, there is always something that attracts negative feedback every year.
Many stakeholders, including artists and fans have been calling for changes to be made.
With Napoleon Nyanhi being recently appointed as the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director, there has been optimism in the sector.
The new NACZ boss has hit the ground running, with numerous changes being implemented while others are in the pipeline.
National Arts Council Revamps NAMA
As the 23rd NAMAS approach, NACZ is making significant strides to ensure that the awards continue improving so that they can compete on the global scene.
At a press conference held on Thursday, NACZ director highlighted that they have been using feedback gathered for the past couple of years to help them map the way forward.
“In 2022 the NACZ embarked on a drive to gain feedback from the sector on the effectiveness of NAMA. It started with the Board of Directors going on a nationwide consultative mission dubbed ‘State of the Arts sector in Zimbabwe’ where they visited each of the 10 Provinces gleaning opinions and recommendations for the arts sector in general,” said Nyanhi.
“This process culminated in two stakeholder meetings held in Bulawayo and Harare to specifically interrogate the NAMA categories and awarding processes.
“A lot of valuable feedback was obtained and today we present the changes that have been made to the awards as a result of these consultations.”
To enhance efficiency and strengthen transparency and fairness there are some changes on the adjudication of awards.
“We have updated the terms of reference for judgement and these terms will be clearly spelt out on the NACZ website from 1 September onwards.
“Seperation of roles is critical for the sake of integrity of the awards. The Board and management of the NACZ are not responsible for choosing who is to be awarded. An independent panel of adjudicators is selected from the sector and the adjudicators’ decision is final.
“Individual and institutional monitors are also selected and this year we have widened the pool to include Radio and Television stations which will also work closely with NACZ as monitors.”
Artists who wish to submit their work can do so online or physically by visiting the NACZ offices.
For the upcoming 23rd edition of the NAMA, consideration will be given to works of art produced from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024, which is the cutoff date for this year’s submissions.
Entry is open to Zimbabwean nationals or those with resident status only.
Meanwhile, CDs and DVDs are no longer acceptable, with memory sticks and online links being more favorable.
Additions and Changes to NAMA Categories
Some awards within the NAMA categories have either been added or renamed.
It should also be noted that the NACZ cannot award every single art form in the country, but rather the most generally recognized roles are picked for each category and they become representative of that art genre.
Here is the full list of awards to apply for in the next edition of NAMA:
Visual Arts Awards
Outstanding Male Visual Artist (New)
Outstanding Female Visual Artist (New)
Outstanding Upcoming Visual Artist (New)
Outstanding Exhibition
Theatre Awards
Outstanding Actress
Outstanding Actor
Outstanding Theatrical Production
Outstanding Director
Outstanding Playwright (New)
Literary Arts Awards
Outstanding First Published Work
Outstanding Fiction Book
Outstanding Non-Fiction Book (New)
Outstanding Children’s Book
Film & Television Awards
Outstanding Actor
Outstanding Actress
Outstanding Music Video
Outstanding Screen Production (Television)
Outstanding Screen Production (Full length film)
Outstanding Screen Production (Short Film)
Dance Awards
Outstanding Dance Group/Production (Renamed)
Outstanding Female Dancer
Outstanding Male Dancer
Outstanding Choreographer
A Dance production may not be an existing group but an ensemble that was put together for a specified piece of work. The outstanding efforts also deserve to be recognized and honored when they deserve.
Spoken Word Awards
Outstanding Stand Up Comedian (Renamed)
Outstanding Poet
Outstanding Social Media Skits
Music Awards
Outstanding Female Musician
Outstanding Male Musician
Outstanding Upcoming Musician (Renamed)
Outstanding Music Group (New)
Outstanding Song
Outstanding Album
Special Awards
Outstanding Artist in the Diaspora
Outstanding Arts Journalist/Media house (New)
Arts Service Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Promoter of the Year
Arts Personality Award
People’s Choice Award
Media awards are now under special awards. This award was perceived to be more of an honorary accolade rather than competitive because of the distinction in nature of creativity.
Creatives should take note of the name of awards they are applying for so that they are not wrongly placed.
Those who need assistance can visit NACZ offices in all provinces, email on [email protected], get in touch on all social media platforms @namaszim or contact NAMA officer Kuda Muchacha on 0779 658 497.
National Arts Council Revamps NAMA
Andrew Moyo is a veteran entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. He has worked for some of the biggest publications in Zimbabwe including The Sunday Mail.
