All set for Nama Awards in Bulawayo
By Problem Masau
The red carpet will be rolled out to guests and nominees at a reception scheduled on the day of the National Arts Merit Awards in Bulawayo.
The reception, which will start the proceedings on Saturday night, will see guests being treated to finger snacks and cocktails as they mingle with the who’s who in the arts sector, thanks to Bulawayo City Council for providing the Large City Hall, the venue of this year’s prestigious awards.
This is the first time that Nama has been held in Bulawayo, the City of Kings and Queens as well as arts hub. National Arts Council of Zimbabwe deputy director Nicholas Moyo said all was set for the 12th edition of Nama.
“Everything is on course and so far we have held rehearsals (on Monday). The rehearsals are for the performing groups on the night since you know the nominees do not have to do much.
“One of the changes this year is that the traditional reception will be held on the day of the awards and not a day before the awards as with other previous years. On the entertainment line-up there is going to be lots of entertainment from different groups,” Moyo said.
This year, Nama features new categories, while some of the existing categories have been expanded. In this vein, 35 people will receive the Nama accolade comprising the coveted trophy and a certificate.
Chairperson of adjudicators Dudu Manhenga hailed the artistes who submitted their work, saying Nama was a springboard for national and international acknowledgement for upcoming artistes as well as cementing the profiles of established practitioners.
“The awards inspire Zimbabwean artistes to strive for higher and original forms of achievement as well as providing an opportunity for arts disciplines to jointly market and publicise the arts locally, regionally and internationally,” Manhenga said.
The National Arts Merit Awards honour Zimbabwean artistes drawn from all artistic disciplines on an annual basis in recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts and culture sectors.
Meanwhile, Nama is inviting the public to select an artiste or art product of their own choice based on the nominees. This is done through sending an SMS from an Econet number, prefixed by the word Nama to 15626.
The People’s Choice Award will also be awarded to the winning artiste on the awards night. Due to misconceptions regarding the adjudication of Nama below are the criteria used for the Nama period which run from December 1 to November 30 of the following year. The Herald
LITERARY ARTS AWARDS
1. Outstanding First Creative Published Work (The publication should be the first for the particular author)
Originality, Innovativeness, Strong competitive ideas, Story line plot, Characterisation, General appeal
2. Outstanding Children’s Book
Originality, Strong competitive ideas, Presentation ability, Innovativeness, Plot, Characterisation, General Appeal
3. Outstanding Fiction Book
Originality, Innovativeness, Content, Design, General Appeal
MUSIC AWARDS
1. Outstanding Song
Quality of the song, Relatedness, Quality of captivating, Size of the song
2. Outstanding Musician (Female/Male)
Size of audience built, Use of musical instruments and voice, Innovativeness and Originality, Repertoire
(a) Dancing
(b) Entertainment Value
3. Outstanding Album
Use of musical instruments and voice, Innovativeness and Originality, Repertoire, Entertainment value
DANCE AWARDS
1. Outstanding Dance Group
Originality and innovativeness, Team spirit, Flexibility and competitiveness, Dance communication, General appeal
2. Outstanding Male Dancer
Use of the body, Body language, Reception level, Originality and innovativeness, General appeal
3. Outstanding Female Dancer
Use of the body, Body Language, Reception Level, Originality and innovativeness, General appeal
4. Outstanding Choreographer
Significance, Visual effects, Use of hands and body movement, Originality and innovativeness, Entertainment value
THEATRE/DRAMA AWARDS
1. Outstanding Actor
Ability to act, Entertainment value, Performance, Use of space
2. Outstanding Actress
Ability to act, Entertainment value, Performance, Use of space
3. Outstanding Theatrical Production
Originality and innovativeness, Strength of dialogue, Entertainment value, Characterisation, Story-line Plot
FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS
1. Outstanding Musical Video
Quality of the video, relatedness, Quality of captivating, Size of the video
2. Outstanding Actor
Ability to act, Originality and innovativeness, Entertainment value, Performance, General appeal
3. Outstanding Actress
Ability to act, Originality and innovativeness, Entertainment value, Performance, General Appeal
4. Outstanding Screen Production (Television)
5. Outstanding Screen Production (Short Film)
6. Outstanding Screen Production (Film)
Cinematography and colour, Originality and innovativeness, Strength of dialogue, Entertainment value, General appeal
VISUAL ARTS AWARDS
1. Outstanding Mix Media Work
Originality, Creativity and innovativeness, Development, Construction, General appeal
2. Outstanding 2-Dimensional Work (Painting, drawing, photography)
Originality, Creativity and innovativeness,
Development, Construction, General Appeal
3. Outstanding 3-Dimensional Work (Sculpture, ceramics)
Originality, Creativity and innovativeness, Development, Construction, General Appeal
4. Outstanding Exhibition
Originality, Creativity and Innovativeness, Theme, Use of Materials, Ambience, General appeal
SPOKEN WORD
1. Outstanding Comedian
2. Outstanding Poet
Strength of delivery, Originality and innovativeness, Entertainment value, Theme, General appeal
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Consistence, Value addition, Development, Business value, Organisational character, New experiences
NATIONAL ARTS SERVICE AWARD
How outstanding is the work of the artiste in question? How original and innovative is / was s/he?
Does the artiste’s work mark a memorable part in the arts and culture industry?
How much contribution did the artiste being awarded give to the arts industry?
If deceased, how great a void did his death create in the arts and culture industry?
NATIONAL ARTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AWARD
An artiste who would have been an effective ambassador of Zimbabwe through the arts.
