Call for 2021 BOMU awards open
Staff Writer | Friday May 14, 2021 17:30
Artists, managers, agents, labels, publishers, music directors, music video producers, album graphic designers and producers can submit their profiles for adjudication with effect from May 6, 2021 to May 31, 2021.
The awards, to be staged virtually, are aimed at honouring and celebrating Botswana musicians and creatives who recorded and commercialised new music between January 1, 2019 and April 2021.
According to Total Music group managing director and event coordinator, Seabelo Modibe there are 30 categories for this year’s awards. The categories are Best Traditional Gospel/Faith Album, Best Afro Pop, Best Folk/ Indigenous Music Album, Best Selling Ringtone/ Caller Tune, Best Female and Male artist as well as Song of the Year.
Modibe indicated that entries must only submit into one category, adding that judges will then select and adjudicate the top six categories, namely; Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, Best new comer and Best Group/Duo. “We have started engaging all artists on the submission process and encourage them to familiarise themselves with all requirements and ensure they submit their work in the highest quality to allow for seamless adjudication,” he said.
For his part, BOMU president, Phemelo Lesokwane highlighted that the BOMU Executive Committee and the Awards Organising Committee resolved to have this year’s awards open only to BOMU-registered artists and encouraged those who were yet to register to do so in order for them to qualify. He explained that non-citizens, who have been legal residents for the past 12 months, also qualify.
“As the local music industry umbrella body, our expectation is that artists should be affiliated to BOMU and enhance their craft and benefit through opportunities created by the association, such as the awards, upcoming funeral scheme, music market days and virtual festivals. I implore all artists who have not yet registered with BOMU to do so prior to the closing date of May 31, 2021, for them to qualify for the awards ,and many other BOMU Programmes,” he reiterated.
The inaugural Virtual BOMU Awards will be held on July 31, 2021.