Awards season reaches climax
. . . as The Sunday Mail gets nomination
THE Sunday Mail has been nominated for the 19th National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) Outstanding Print Journalist for the sixth time in eight years, proving the publication’s relevance in arts reporting.
The event will be held on February 29 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
Battling it out in the category will be The Sunday Mail’s Senior Reporter Prince Mushawevato, Kundai Marunya ( Herald) and Tafadzwa Kachiko ( Newsday).
Previous winners of the prestigious gong from this publication include Features and Arts Editor Mtandazo Dube (2013), Shamiso Yikoniko (2014), Online News Editor Garikai Mazara (2015) and Mushawevato (2017).
Speaking in an interview, Mushawevato said he was honoured by the recognition.
“It is always good to see one’s work receive positive recognition but, above all, this means a lot with regards to the social status of The Sunday Mail,” he said.
Going forward, Ishan comes into the matrix once again. He has been nominated in two categories, namely Outstanding Newcomer against King 98 and Panganai Hare and Outstanding Song for the track “Kure” featuring Ti Gonzi.
The budding star sprung a surprise at the Zimbabwe Music Awards when he bagged three gongs — Best Male Artiste of the Year, Best Newcomer of the Year and Afro-pop awards. However, the musician lost the Best Collaboration award to Winky D and Gemma Griffiths’ “MuGarden”.
But all eyes will be will on the Outstanding Male Musician and Outstanding Albums categories.
Newcomers Darlington Mutseta aka Mambo Dhuterere and Tinashe Gonzara better known as Ti Gonzi will battle it out with Wallace Chirumiko, real name Winky D, in the Outstanding Male Musician category.
It will also be a tight contest as Mambo Dhuterere goes head-to-head with Freeman and Willis Wataffi for the Outstanding Album award.
Freeman and Alick Macheso’s “Ngaibake”, “Kure”, “MuGarden” and Mambo Dhuterere’s “Mweya Ndisesekedze” make the nominees list in the Outstanding Song.
Meanwhile, the Nama adjudication team has received a backlash for not having nominees in the dance and choreography genres.
The adjudicators did not list any nominee in the two categories amid revelations that they felt there was lack of creativity in the genres in question.
Said chairperson of the Nama adjudication panel Prod Ruby Magosvongwe: “In dance, the entries submitted showed a lack of seriousness and the adjudicators noted that there were no significant appropriate dance productions that were submitted. A number of the works submitted in this category were not well packaged.”