The Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA) will be broadcast live online over a period of eight weekends, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful annual entertainment events in the recent history of Namibia.
Each year since 2010 the NAMA music award ceremony featured prominently on the entertainment calendar of Namibia under the auspices of MTC and NBC, bringing smiles on the faces of music lovers as talented artists received recognition for their hard work during the year.
But the annual musical showpiece was never short of shocks and surprises too as young musicians rubbed shoulders with veteran artists in various categories seeking to scoop the most coveted awards, the fame and the monetary rewards which came with the prizes.
While the NAMA stood out as a success and it contributed immensely to the growth of the music industry, the premier sponsor and organiser of the showpiece, MTC, decided to call it quits without much explanation.
The final NAMA event was initially billed to take place in May 2020 but it was postponed indefinitely as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are pleased to announce that the 10th Namibia Annual Music Awards will be delivered online (…) No guest will be allowed at the event except the sponsors who will still have the opportunity to present their awards to the winners,” said Mr Tim Ekandjo, the NAMA executive chairman.
“And the rest of the country can enjoy an exciting 8 weekend mini shows online at a very minimal fee that will be used to raise funds for the music industry as a relief package.”
The mini shows which will take place in Windhoek on Friday and Saturday evenings will see all the artists nominated in various categories performing in front of a small crowd.
The general public will be required to buy online tickets in advance in order to be able to watch these shows live as they take place.
The shows will then be rebroadcast on NBC TV the next Sunday.
The first mini show will be on the Saturday of 29 August, with the final show on 31 October 2020.
A total of N$1.2 million will be paid out in prize monies, with all categories receiving N$30,000 except for Best Album and Song of the Year each to receive N$50,000, Best Male and Best Female Artist receiving N$100,000, while the Artist of the Year will walk away with a whopping N$200,000.
The Artist of the Decade will walk away with N$150,000 and a one-year DSTV Explora subscription from Multichoice Namibia.
