Virtual Zima awards on this Saturday

By Bongani Ndlovu

All is set for the Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) which will be staged virtually at a venue in Harare on Saturday. MCs and performers are set to be unveiled soon with fans of the show being urged to continue voting for their best song.

Song of the Year which has Fadza Mutengi by Poptain, Hello Mwari by Jah Master, Safe by Nutty O and Wakatemba by ExQ featuring Tocky Vibes is the only category that is open for voting. The rest have been left to the adjudicators to decide.

Zima CEO, Reason Sibanda said voting for the Song of the Year is being done on their website. “There’s no SMS voting and everyone is encouraged to vote on the Zima website for the Song of the Year.

They can vote as many times as they want. The future is digital and we’re trying to prepare for that,” said Sibanda.

He said the awards will be broadcast on different platforms adding that MCs and performers will be revealed soon.

“The awards will be broadcast across many platforms. The main one will be the Zima Facebook page and others such as ZimCelebs and Hatirari 263 with more being finalised. We’re trying to get a wider reach for the people to watch,” said Sibanda.

“We’ll soon reveal three MCs for the night and the performers.” Sibanda said they would love to have the nominees physically attend the event so they are deliberating on the issue.

“With regards to the nominees, we’re still finalising how we’re going to go about it. Whether we’re going to have them at the venue on the night or not,” he said.

Last year’s awards ceremony was unforgettable as it was mostly a Bulawayo affair, a rarity in the local arts scene. The organisers who were headed by Sibanda did not disappoint with Saimon Mambazo who was in charge of the event’s choreography putting on a good show.

The awards also seemed to have been given to deserving artistes such as Janet Manyowa, Clement Magwaza, Indosakusa: The Morning Star, Freeman, Mambo Dhuterere and Freeman among others. The Chronicle