The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
THE gradual opening of places of leisure and entertainment as authorities ease Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has enabled the Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) to put its best foot forward, announcing that the Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) will be the main partner for the next edition of the awards while unveiling a roadmap for the awards that are set to culminate with a ceremony on 19 February.
On the roadmap unveiled by Zima, submissions for nominations are set to begin on 1 November and end on 31 December, while nominees will be announced on 20 January after a stringent adjudication process.
The awards, which will run under the theme “Rhythm, Roots and Cultural Diversity” will be followed by an after-party on 20 February. The 2022 edition of the awards is set to be a hybrid affair, with a mixture of virtual and physical events set to be the order of the day during a ceremony that is aimed at “uniting Zimbabwe’s diverse musical roots, rhythm and culture under one strong voice and sound.”
In a statement, Zima corporate communications executive Benjamin Nyandoro described last week’s announcement by Government that bars and nightclubs were now open as a boost that the entertainment scene needed after a year-and-a-half where the industry had to seek alternative platforms to push its products.
“The coincidence of yesterday’s long-awaited announcement on reopening of a key music business enabler — the bars and our timing for unveiling the 2022 edition of the Zimbabwe Music Awards, is not sheer luck. We have secured both the light and the tunnel to the end. Eighteen months under lockdown with tight restrictive measures implemented by Government to manage the Covid-19 global pandemic, the music keeps playing.
“The digital cosmos became the primary platform for performance and distribution of music works. Industry players have over the period embraced the ‘new normal’ building smart partnerships between promoters, platform providers, content and sponsorship. The quality is exceptional,” he said.
In announcing the sponsors and partners for the next edition of the ceremony, Nyandoro said they were proud that the corporate world had decided to walk step by step with Zima in its journey to elevate the music industry in the country.
“Let me take this appropriate time to make it official that our Zima 2022 Headline Partner is PPC Zimbabwe, where Strength is Guaranteed. We have cemented this partnership over the years through our convergence on strong commitment and determination in our respective trades and value systems.
“It is reassuring that corporate giants continue to locate value around recognising, promoting, celebrating and awarding our musicians, their works and the music support systems. We welcome Wezhaz Executive Cars, Barmlo Investments, Kitchen Link and the Bullion Group for coming aboard,” he said.
Some of Zima’s notable achievements during a quiet year for the music industry was the donation of groceries and renovation of the house of Zima 2021 Lifetime Achievers, Bulawayo’s Cool Crooners, and the commissioning of an external adjudication steering committee comprising of 12 qualified persons to oversee and develop the Zima Rule Book.
