May the best artists win this year

THERE’S an obvious sense of prestige and status attached to the Namibia Annual Music Awards show and there is always excitement about which high-profile celebrities will be seen dressed in their best.

We the lovers of music tend to sit glued to our screens during the award show to find out who comes out on top and who loses. Who was robbed of the recognition they rightfully deserved? Who gave the most emotional speech to the audience and us at home? As we long to say that, “I think he was supposed to win.”

Over the years, many critics argued that the award show was too long, too political and too self-important. The NAMA executive committee had always addressed these issues and striven to really be the best on the continent.

But come on, even if you are awarding excellence, you have to have some sort of development programme running in order to build those who don’t win. It is in hindsight a very small creative industry and the NAMAs do go out of their way to make this event unforgettable. Tim Ekandjo was right when he said they have a strict mandate to award excellence.

At the same time I have to agree to disagree, after all, gathering and sharing experiences at that level is a very powerful means of encouragement. If it was up to me (I’m glad it is not), I would say that award shows are pointless and should just end, hence the global decline of ratings on big award shows like the Emmys or Grammys.

But entertainers deserve recognition for their work and honestly, winning an award doesn’t only boost a pop star’s career, but also cements their legacy within popular culture in Namibia.

I think winning should be based on popularity, acclaim, and impact, but politics sometimes play a hand in who wins and we all have to swallow the blade at some point. But then again, everyone deserves a good show, so come 7 September, may the best musician win.