admin
As the second edition of the Zim dancehall Awards draws closer, it is my sincere hope that the event will be incident-free.
The ceremony is slated for the East End Hall at the Exhibition Park this Friday. The first edition of the awards ceremony was marred by violence after some fans felt cheated when Wallace “Winky D” Chirumiko walked away with four awards ahead of Killer T and Soul Jah Love, who were the then crowd favourites.
When a disgruntled fan threw an empty can at Winky D, the Ninja president’s fans were incensed and could not stomach having their icon humiliated. They descended heavily on the culprit and his gang.
The result was violence which saw the police getting involved.
This time around, the spirit of tolerance will hopefully prevail among the fans that are going to attend the event.
Though we are yet to see the final execution of the awards ceremony, the general feeling is that the Zim dancehall Awards organisers have gone a mile further in providing a credible and organised event.
The world over, award ceremonies always attract controversy due to disputed outcomes. But it is the issue of transparency that helps calm disgruntled fans. Failure to reveal adjudication panels either on time or completely is the reason why
Unlike in the inaugural edition, this year the organisers have made an effort to make the adjudication process at various stages as transparent as possible. Various stakeholders -DJs, journalists, fans, producers, and promoters, were involved from shortlisting nominees up to the final selection of eventual winners.
We also hope the Zim dancehall fans copied a thing or two from their counterparts who attended the recently-held 14th edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama).
Nama fans registered their displeasure on questionable outcomes by booing, not by physical assaults.
Last week, founder of the Zim dancehall Awards, Phineas Mushayi, indicated that all the necessary ingredients for hosting a successful event have since been put in place.
The awards ceremony, he promised, will be near perfect.
“What is only left is for us to host the event. We now have the trophies to be won in our possession and we have also finalised deals with artistes that are going to perform on the day,” he said. In the past we have been hoodwinked to anticipate five-star events that turned out to be damp squibs. Only last year, nominees had no demarcated sitting zones.
This year, the organisers have promised a VIP section that will accommodate top dignitaries and artistes.
“Security has been boosted compared to last time, but we hope fans will behave themselves and not create unnecessary problems. Events like these are meant to promote competition and subsequently boost the quality of the work produced.
“Violence will scare away sponsors,” said Mushayi, adding, “nominees will be in a designated area away from the public.”
A website with all categories was set up for viewers to select their favourite nominated artistes.
Nominees are battling it out in 27 categories. And by Friday (last week), a panel of judges and adjudicators was monitoring and collating votes and views from various stakeholders including views from fans collected from the various social media platforms. The final list of nominees that will vie for honours on the big day is expected to be released on Monday (tomorrow).
“This time around we have made sure that almost everyone who follows Zim dancehall has his/her view put into consideration.
The fans have been voting and making crucial suggestions on our Facebook page as well as on our website. I think the final winners will be a clear indication of the fans’ will,” he said.
Of note, however, is the fact that the event will be held on the same day that South African giants Mafikizolo and Zahara clash a stone’s throw away from the awards venue.
“Our target clientele is different hence we don’t see any threat. Besides, ours is an awards ceremony whose cheapest ticket is going for as little as US$5 meaning that the event will be affordable to most of the youth that support the genre,” argued Mushayi.
Judging from anxiety generated by the nominees’ list, the second edition of the Zim dancehall Awards is something to look forward to.
One can only hope that the organisers of the event will not connive to disappoint fans on the day.
May all the deserving candidates win.
Online Reporter