PREPARATIONS for this year’s edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) are progressing well with the adjudication process now in full swing, the organisers have said.
The awards, organised by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (Nacz), seek to award excellence in the cultural and creative industry.
“The awards will be held on February 26 and the adjudicators have their work cut out for them with a total of 2 135 entries being received for the 20th Nama covering the visual arts, theatre, literary arts, film and television, dance, media, spoken word and music categories,” Nacz publicist Rodney Ruwende said.
It was reported that 1 020 entries were submitted online while 808 entries were received from various collecting points that were established for the submission of entries.
“Monitors selected by Nacz submitted an additional 307 entries while 83 entries were from Zimbabwean artists based in the diaspora,” he said.
From the total entries submitted, music dominated across categories with 794 entries followed by film and television with (434), visual arts (283), literature (254) spoken word (104) and dance (99).
Media and theatre categories received the least entries with 80 and 87 entries respectively.
“Nacz is pleased with the entries received for the 20th Nama which cover the two years running from December 1, 2019 to November 30, 2021.
“The entries show that the cultural and creative sector in Zimbabwe has confidence in the awards and its systems which recognise excelling artists and acknowledges their immense contributions in the sector,” Ruwende said.