Botswana awards date unveiled

Artists will soon be invited to submit their music for consideration and the nominees will be unveiled in August.

This year's awards will include a category that accommodates disabled artists. “The categories were 34 and we will include Best Disabled Artist and Best Promoter,” BOMU president Pagson Ntsie told Music In Africa. “These awards are intended to annually award those who have excelled and also unite, strengthen, encourage and recognise talent.”

Ntsie said other new categories included in the awards were Best in Film and Best TV Programme. “We have done so because the creative industry continues to grow and we have to align ourselves with the trends,” he said.

The 2018 edition will include a distinctive international feel with dignitaries from Lesotho, Zambia and Namibia attending the event. “These are our strategic partners that we have been working with,” Ntsie said.

Despite getting support from the Botswana government, Ntsie says the BOMU Awards can do with more funds. “We are funded by the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development but funds are never enough to do more than we wish.”

Last year, local motswako star ATI was the biggest winner with six awards.

BOMU Carnival Music Festival on the cards

As part of the build-up to the awards ceremony, the organisers will host the BOMU Carnival Festival at Stanbic Bank Piazza in Gaborone on 16 June.

Local artists who are scheduled to perform at the event include ATI, Vee Mampeezy, Punah Gabasiane, Slizer, Mlesho, Berry Heart and Skavenja. The festival was planned to bolster the union's finances. Ntsie said the idea to host the concert had come from local musicians who wanted to unite under one roof.

Ntsie also said the union had used up large sums of money to finance artist funerals, which left the body almost bankrupt.

“We need 2 million pula [$205 000] to be placed at a better position to fully execute our mandate,” he said. “Most of the artists who have passed away were buried with BOMU coffers. This has drained BOMU’s accounts and we must raise funds to safeguard against similar situations.”

The Carniva Music Festival was first planned for 2 June but will now take place on Saturday.