THE Namibia Annual Music Awards nominees that were announced on Friday have the music industry excited, but have also raised a few questions regarding the selection process.
The nominations featured a number of newcomers with artists like Promise, Bulan and Lonette being some of the unfamiliar names in the Best Female category. New kids on the block StarDust also wowed with their nomination for the best album of the year.
The South has made its presence more felt with the young group Tabakanz and 2013 Best Afrikaans winner S-Man making it into some of the biggest categories.
Some of the categories did however leave the audience, music lovers and the nation at large with their jaws on the floor. Soon after the nomination show, fans and music personalities took to social media to express their disbelief and disappointment with some of the nominations.
The two categories most talked about were the Best Group category and the Best R and B category. One of the most sought after groups in the country, PDK, did not make it into any of the categories they entered. The fact that they did not make it onto the Best Group list at this year’s awards is what did not sit too well with the group and music lovers.
“We feel that this is disrespectful towards our art. I really thought that the competition would be between PDK and Gazza this year,” PDK group member Patrick Mwashindange said. Mwashindange said it could not be that they did not meet the deadlines because their entries were done at the same time and by the same person who did the entries for Promise, who got nominated for Best R and B and Best Female.
Although many expected Black Vulcanite in the Best Hip-Hop category, the group did not enter. Mark Mushiva did however express disappointment at the fact that well-known hip-hop act Mappz did not make it onto the nominees list.
“It is completely ridiculous that Mappz did not make it. He put out a phenomenal album,” Mushiva said.
Mappz, on the other hand, said that he is not in any way upset with the outcome, although he would’ve loved to have been nominated. He said that he will use this as a lesson and motivation to work harder.
Both PDK and Mappz said that the nominations do not in any way whatsoever change the relationship they have with the NAMAs. Mwashindange of PDK as well as Mushiva of Black Vulcanite did ask for clarity and more transparency with the judging system.
“We just want to know what went wrong,” Mwashindange said.
NAMAs executive Tim Ekandjo told The Namibian yesterday that they will try and assist those artists who would like to have feedback regarding the judging process.
“The judges make notes as they judge every entry and although it is not a practice to give such feedback because of the large number of entries, we will make an effort to assist those artists who would like to have such feedback,” Ekandjo said.
As for this year’s nominees, the pack is led by Gazza with the most nominations, followed by Oteya in second place. Although he did not enter this year, kwaito star The Dogg is also nominated in the Most Popular Artist category, where he is competing with the likes of Gazza, KP Illest, Paradox and Ongoro Nomundu.
You can still vote for the Song of The Year category, the only public category, where Beast, DJ Zille, KP Illest, Paradox and XBantuans are in the running.
An in-depth look at the nominees will follow in this Thursday.
