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NewsDay

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Credibility eludes Zimdancehall awards

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Credibility refers to the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message, according to Wikipedia.

Credibility refers to the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message, according to Wikipedia.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

However, for the purpose of this article, credibility is defined as “capable of being believed.”

Locally, music awards seem to have been marred by controversy.

Credibility has been extensively questioned and many of the music awards ceremonies cannot even match the glamour they carry outwardly.

After seven years in hibernation, the Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) returned to the Harare International Conference Centre in October last year. And as has become the norm, the awards also courted controversy.

On the night of the ceremony, winning artistes went home empty-handed as they could not take home their trophies since there was only one old trophy which artistes would surrender backstage to be used for the entire ceremony.

Interestingly, in March last year Rooftop Promotions launched the Wene Music awards, which never took off as the organisers have gone into hibernation. Then came the Zimdancehall Music Awards.

The awards appear to be a far cry from what really needs to be done for the event slated for March 6 at the East End Hall, Showgrounds in the capital.

While founder Phinias Mushai is on record defending the awards format of selecting nominees by considering those artistes who would have received more votes in each category, this has been received with mixed feelings by both fans and artistes.

A dancehall fanatic, Ras Yagah of Chitungwiza said: “A reputable position in relation to these dancehall awards would be a criteria where organisers would have requested artistes to submit entries of their works.”

Several upcoming artistes are crying foul over the organisers’ criteria whereby fans are to choose the overall winners through voting.

Chanter Mostaff is among the many artistes who believe the selection criteria has loopholes which left out some deserving artistes.

“I have respect for the awards organisers, but I just felt the way the nominees were selected through voting of fans was not fair for upcoming artistes,” he said.

Bindura-based Reflex Mausa was nominated in the Best Zimdancehall Youngster 2014.

The 16-year-old artiste said the use of Facebook by the organisers was not conducive to upcoming artistes like him who have a small following to garner more votes.

“This criteria being used to select the nominees leaves a lot to be desired. Although we are happy about the nomination and we thank the organisers for the recognition, we believe he could have done better for upcoming artistes,” Mausa said.