The prizes were announced last week as three sponsors were unveiled. The Diamond Trading Company (DTC Botswana), who have been supporting the award event since 2008, announced P100, 000 for prizes. At the same event the French Embassy also backed the awards with P10, 000, while the Department of Culture on Friday revealed they were also supporting the TAYA awards with P50, 000. Mascom is putting P35, 500 into the TAYA, while four other sponsors are expected to confirm their participation before November 15.
Thapong Centre for the Arts director Reggie Bakwena also announced that the runner-up in the Artist of the Year Award would pocket P25, 000, up by P50, 000, from last year. This year there is also a prize for the best young artist that will see the winner walking away with P20, 000. However, Bakwena warned artists that with the huge prizes comes even more stringent adjudication process. Consequently, Bakwena challenged artists to peruse the judges' comments in the annual TAYA review book and try to make improvements in their originality, innovation, mastery media, the subject matter, composition, execution of ideas and presentation, among others. Entries closed last Saturday (October 27).
