'NAMAs vetting process credible'

The 2017 Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) revealed the nominees at a glamorous ceremony at Nice Restaurant last week Wednesday. As usual, some artists took to social media to express their displeasure for either not being nominated in certain categories or not at all.The biggest complaint on social media was the inclusion of Gazza's album titled Pumumu with most artists asking why it was approved if the album was only launched on 3 December 2017 while the cut-off date for albums as per the NAMA rules state 31 November 2017. Explaining the admission, NAMA executive chairperson Tim Ekandjo encouraged the artist to read and familiarise themselves with the rules. "The answer is simple and it is contained in the rules. The rules state that the album must have been commercially available between 1 December 2016 and 31 November 2017. Commercially available means that you should be able to buy the album in a shop or online. The album in question was commercially available online before the said date and proof was submitted to an independent steering committee that satisfied themselves with the information before approving the entry. The rules do not state that the album must have been launched before 31 November; it says it must be commercially available, which is the key emphasis. “Whether an artist launches the album two or three weeks after it being commercially available does not matter; our emphasis is on commercial availability and artists can of course choose to sell their music either online or in a shop. We do not dictate which platforms they must use, as that decision lies with them,"Ekandjo said.“Whilst it is a rarity it is however not uncommon. It would not be the first time that we have allowed artists to commercially release their albums online. This is in line with artist embracing technology as physical CD sales around the world have been declining. “The NAMAs has grown over the years because it never compromises on its own credibility. We have not and will never bend the rules for anybody; the interest of the awards and upholding its integrity is placed above everything else." Ekandjo once again encouraged artists to attend the information sessions that is organised every year. "We have workshops every year around the country to educate artists on the rules, but some never attend. After six years we should reasonably expect artists to understand the rules but some entries get disqualified every year for the same reason. You cannot participate in your event and not make an effort to understand the rules guiding your event. Asked to comment on artists complaining why they were not nominated at all or not nominated in certain categories, Ekandjo replied: "That is a discussion or debate we will never entertain, you cannot enter the awards based on the rules and want to be your own judge. Once you enter, you must respect the decision of the judges; you do not necessarily have to agree with them, but everybody must respect it. If artists wish to submit and judge their own music, then the NAMA platform is definitely not for them. Our judges have not promised anybody a nomination and we can therefore not entertain such debates. We have always welcomed constructive criticism, but we will not allow artists to start insulting the NAMA brand,” concluded Ekandjo. Ekandjo praised the NAMA Steering Committee for having done a thorough job on the vetting process. For the past three years, the committee had a 100% accuracy rate which speaks well of its commitment and understanding of the rules. This year once again saw a good mix of local and international judges judging entries purely based on the criteria. It is the nature of any awards to have artists feeling short changed because they think they deserved a nomination, but competition is tough, and the key is how an artist reacts that either builds or destroys their own brand. The NAMAs is scheduled for 28 and 29 April at the NDC building in Walvis Bay. General tickets sell for N$250 while VIP tickets cost N$500. The awards organisers promised that the 2017 event will be "simply fresh and amazing" and that 90% of the performances will see newcomers rocking the NAMA stage. The NAMAs is proudly brought to you by MTC and NBC with co-sponsors Tafel Lite, the National Arts Council of Namibia, Standard Bank, Air Namibia, NDTC, J&P Group of Companies, Power Play, NWR, NFC and NASCAM.

'NAMAs vetting process credible'

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'NAMAs vetting process credible'

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