10th Nama awards leave many professional artists perplexed

however, this ugly duckling has managed through the years to grow uglier instead of turning into the proverbial “beautiful swan”.
From its inception, when they awarded the likes of Tom Bloemfield of Tengenenge, a prize for his contribution to the arts, when the only remarkable achievement this individual contributed to the visual arts was mass exploitation of former farm labourers turned artists, mostly of neighbouring Malawian, Mozambican, Zambian and Angolan descent, under the guise of “African naïve art”, often derogatively termed by his master as “bobojaan art”.
When running out of nominees for visual arts awards, they could always turn to their stalwart sponsor, Dominic Benhura whose walls must by now be awash with Nama certificates and his mantelpiece full of his styled and produced Nama awards – he must by now have his fill of awards.
DJ Chilli is another undeserving Nama Award recipient – what are her contributions to the arts?
Professionals such as playwright and theatre advocate Stephen Chifunyise, who served the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture for many years, and who has written contemporary short satirical plays, whom this writer recommended be awarded an honorary doctorate in the Arts for his long standing contribution to the performing arts was again sidelined when several organisations took up the gauntlet and started awarding a plethora honorary degrees willy-nilly.
The same applies for internationally renowned stone sculptor Tapfuma Gutsa; Shimmer Chinodya, novelist; Walter Mparutsa, actor and playwright; internationally recognised mbira player Chiwoniso Maraire; filmmaker-novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga; Virginia Phiri, writer, and Petina Gappah, writer and legal practitioner.
Other people included radio personality Barney Mpariwa for his social consciousness, Jonathan Mbiriyamveka; Charles Mungoshi (novelist); Professor Fred Zindi (lecturer and music critic) and many others.
The recently staged 10th National Arts Merit Awards left many professional artists perplexed at the purpose of the awards. Close scrutiny even revealed a “ghost award” for a Television drama “Hona Mwana Wako,” which was never flighted on TV, but was rejected by the national broadcaster due to poor production quality.
The Director of the National Arts Council Elvas Mari has managed to distance himself from this debacle but who appoints the adjudicators?
Are they appointed according to their social standing or networking?
What are their qualifications?
Are the adjudicators educated, knowledgeable, qualified and transparent enough to monitor, judge and recommend a piece of music or work of visual art, or a satirical play without having the history of the production and an insight into the overall genre?
Are the winners deserving of the accolades they receive?
What is the purpose of these awards?
What can the recipient hope to attain after receiving this award?
What of the prize money?
Is a certificate, shield and one hundred dollars worth a year or lifetime dedication to the arts?
Was the US$100 for “bus money” for the homeward journey?
Does one really attain National recognition?
Receive a recording contract?
An artist’s residency to further their career?
Get a performing arts bursary?
To ascertain the validity of these awards one has to ask, can a Nama be compared to an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, a Kora, or an EIA award BMA or Eurovision award?
Whilst the ceremony was gilded with glitz, glamour and not doubt with the usual badly over/under dressed usherettes, if the National Arts Merit Award are to have any National, let alone international or regional significance, they need to be re-visited in their entirety.
This should start from the staging of the events, the appointment of the Nama committee, the appointments of the adjudicators, to the dress code. The process of awarding prizes also needs to be revisited.
It is easy to blame lack of funds or sponsorship fatigue for the failures. However, there would be no lack of sponsorship if the awards were credible and well organised.
No one wants to be associated with mediocrity. It would be useful to have selected representatives of the arts sectors to comment on the methods of evaluating and adjudication of the various categories.
Whilst this writer has previously compiled annual reports on the visual arts for the National Arts Council, at their request, much of the critical advice went unheeded.
So now you have undeservedly received a Nama award, what next?
This writer witnessed a young “star” of the evening hitch hike home with other mortals clutching his “trophy” after spending his prize money with fans and friends at a nearby brasserie.
A throbbing hangover and a hungry family congratulated him the following morning – “Hona Mwana Wako”.
The curtain had fallen down.