We stand by our vision: Zima Benjamin Nyandoro

Tafadzwa Zimoyo, Senior Arts Reporter

the selection of the lifetime award depends on the theme of a given year and is not linked to an artist’s popularity at any given time.

In a wide ranging interview, Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) spokesperson Benjamin Nyandoro clarified a number of issues following the event last Saturday which caught the ire of several music fans who expressed their reservations over some awards which were given out.

Of particular concern was the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award, which was awarded to the late musician Andy Brown, as some music fans felt he did not deserve the award.

“The pot is bigger when it comes to select who should be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Nyandoro in an interview.

“We chose the late Andy Brown based on what the judges wanted. Lifetime Achievement Award is not assessed.

“We do not compare legends; there are a number of them, but it depends on the edition’s theme and who they pick.”

Nyandoro said they stand with their vision and structure of building the music sector from the grassroots, to a transparent platform.

“Integrity is key, we need to protect it.”

“A lot has happened, but we should go back to our drawing board rather than going forward. We will engage the public, media and stakeholders so that we all understand the vision first,” he said.

Asked if Zima should educate artists so that they respected and understood the format of the awards, Nyandoro said it was not their job.

“It is an arrogant position to say that we should educate artists about the awards. That is not going to be our job but we are going to bring in significant contributions of the public to participate in the awards process.

“We want a system of integrity to flow. We are here to promote music. Feedback is important hence every complainant is an input.

“The key point is to question whether musicians want to submit their artworks or not. We can’t force them but we let the public and stakeholders decide,” he said.

The period of eligibility for entry into Zima is now from January 1 to December 31, and if an artist released an album on January 1 and another on November 30, both fall in the same category and can be nominated for the same category.

Nyandoro said they were now preparing certificates for all the nominees as a form of appreciation.

“The awards will be held in January as the model states. We got confirmation from guests after we sent the invites. It is beyond our control.”

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