Tinaani Nyabereka
Bulawayo – The 22nd edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) is set to be held in Bulawayo in February next year which is the first time ever for the prestigious awards to be held outside Harare, organisers of the event have revealed.
The awards, that are recognised as the premier arts awards in the country that recognize top performing artists, have for a long time been held in the capital but this time around, the City of Kings will host the ceremony.
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director, Nicholas Moyo revealed that they settled for Bulawayo after failing to find a suitable venue to host the event in other provinces outside Harare.
“This time we decided to take the event outside Harare and we have resorted to Bulawayo. The decision was reached after failing to find a suitable venue that could host such an event in other provinces that’s why we settled for Bulawayo,” said Moyo.
As part of the preparations for the awards, there will be a golf day on November 10, in Bulawayo, with the aim of having artists, corporates and other stakeholders to mix and mingle sharing notes in a relaxed environment.
A Gweru artist and actress, Enifa Mbewe expressed gratitude to the changes saying this year’s edition was a unique phenomenon.
“Having the Southern Region hosting the NAMA shows that there is a culture of inclusivity and diversity in promoting arts and culture. We are happy that, this time we are going to see the new artists and new participants being given the platform to be awarded and rewarded for their skills,” said Mbewe.
