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Feather Awards 2026 in SA: All the nominees

Feather Awards 2026 in SA: All the nominees

ACCES nominated for best music biz conference at MBAA

ACCES nominated for best music biz conference at MBAA

Milk + Cookies Festival to return to South Africa in January 2027

Milk + Cookies Festival to return to South Africa in January 2027

Snapchat adds AI tools that turn chats into songs for Lens+ subscribers

Snapchat adds AI tools that turn chats into songs for Lens+ subscribers

Kenya: Tommy WÁ and Labdi to perform in Nairobi as part of MobiArts Tour

Kenya: Tommy WÁ and Labdi to perform in Nairobi as part of MobiArts Tour

Roster launches Star Power tool to compare artists using public music data

Roster launches Star Power tool to compare artists using public music data

Egypt: TooFuse release debut album ‘Earth’ after Montpellier performance

Egypt: TooFuse release debut album ‘Earth’ after Montpellier performance

Sacem, Deezer launch professional music service for independent businesses

Sacem, Deezer launch professional music service for independent businesses

Benin: SIMA to hold third edition in November

Benin: SIMA to hold third edition in November

Uganda: Afrigo Band co-founder Moses Matovu dies aged 77

Uganda: Afrigo Band co-founder Moses Matovu dies aged 77

South Africa to launch Creative Biz Fund for creative enterprises

South Africa to launch Creative Biz Fund for creative enterprises

SA: Bassline co-owner Paige Jean Holmes dies

SA: Bassline co-owner Paige Jean Holmes dies

NEFCISA
NEFCISA

The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) is proud of its partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as a Strategic Implementing Partner (SIP) for its Social Employment Fund (SEF). Through this collaboration, MIAF is running a national programme that is creating jobs, addressing skills gaps, and strengthening South Africa's creative industries — in line with the SEF's overarching goal to generate work for the common good and build community value through employment, social contribution, and inclusive economic participation. Operating under the banner NEFCISA (National Employment Facility for Creative Industries in South Africa), the initiative is recruiting and training participants, matching them with host organisations, and has already placed 1 500 workers across the country — surpassing its original target of 1 000. NEFCISA is delivered through a network of 20 host organisations spanning five provinces, who are actively hosting participants and contributing to work for the common good across South Africa's creative and cultural industries. Key Objectives: Support employment and entrepreneurship in the creative industries. Offer skills development and training programmes. Foster partnerships between public and private creative sectors. Promote South African creativity at both provincial and national levels Foster community development through social contribution.

ACCES
ACCES

ACCES Conference and Showcase Festival is Africa's leading music industry gathering, bringing together the people shaping the future of the continent's music business. Artists, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers and cultural leaders from across Africa and around the world come to ACCES to build partnerships, exchange ideas, discover talent and create new business opportunities. Since its launch in 2017, ACCES has become the continent's premier platform for professional exchange and music market development. Combining a high-level conference with a curated showcase festival, networking, exhibitions and industry programmes, ACCES offers a unique space where creativity meets business and where African music connects with the global industry.

Gender@Work
Gender@Work

Music In Africa Gender @ Work is a three-year training programme aimed at upskilling and increasing the participation of female professionals in the African music sector. Launched by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in April 2019, the programme is connected to the MIAF’s ACCES music conference – a pan-African event held in a different African country every year. This connection enables the programme to reach new participants in a different African country every year. The programme marks the beginning of a more concerted effort by the Foundation to support the participation and inclusion of women in all facets of its programmes and the music sector in Africa as a whole. Over the three years, the programme will aim to address gender imbalances in the sector through training, lobbying, facilitating knowledge exchange and dialogues that foster the interest of women. The broader objectives of the programme are to: Provide industry training for women on critical music industry skills, focusing on: Stage management Electronic music production and recording Music business management Technical knowledge Provide an opportunity for both professional and aspiring women to benefit from the Music In Africa network and its broad range of activities in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Provide a solution-based platform in the form of a round table at ACCES with a view to identify challenges, discuss opportunities and lobby for the interests of female practitioners. Offer participants the opportunity to benefit from programmes offered by MIAF’s partners. Increase access to educational materials. Integrate participants in the broader ACCES programme to maximise experience and exposure to the industry. Record and present training materials on the www.musicinafrica.net, including but not limited to tutorials, templates and other best-practice materials. Communicate women-based themes that support the initiatives and messages of the programme. MAIN TRAINING ACTIVITIES Training in first country (Ghana): In the first year, participants will be trained on all aspects of stage management by a team of experienced stage managers from 10 to 17 November 2019. The programme will offer robust classroom training as well as practical, hands-on training in which participants will also be given the opportunity to manage various aspects of the ACCES performance programme. Training in second country: The second training iteration will take place at ACCES 2020 when the programme will diversify its course to include music production lessons and training on other music business topics. A round-table platform will also be introduced to coincide with the ACCES programme. Training in third country: The third training iteration will take place at ACCES 2021 in a different country, offering an advanced course. HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED?  As a participant, facilitator or trainer: The programme enrolls up to 12 trainees every year. All opportunities are advertised publicly on this website, and will be added to this page. Please keep checking this page for new calls (below under UPDATES & CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES). As a partner Please contact Claire Metais at [email protected]. APPLY The call for applications for 2020 will be announced soon. The Music In Africa Gender @ Work programme is made possible with the support of the Prince Claus Fund, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Sound Connects Fund
Sound Connects Fund

For cultural and creative practitioners and organisations operating in southern Africa, access to funding remains a major challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a massive impact on government policy, spending and the economy in general, and has seen spending on culture being moved further down the list of priorities. Further, the cultural and creative industries repeatedly cite four main areas where investment is needed for growth, which are increased visibility, mobility including access to new markets, finance and support structures.

Instrument Building And Repair Project
Instrument Building And Repair Project

Experience the Vibrations African Instruments Exhibition online in 3D

Music In Africa
Home / Magazine / News
News

Malawi: UMP Awards 2026 unveils categories ahead of Blantyre ceremony

Livhuwani Malelelo By Livhuwani Malelelo

30 Jul 2026 - 09:26

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Organisers of the 2026 UMP Awards hosted in Blantyre, Malawi, have officially unveiled the full list of award categories for this year's ceremony, reaffirming their commitment to celebrating excellence across Malawi's creative industries. The prestigious awards gala is scheduled to take place on 5 December 2026 in Blantyre.

The categories cover music, media, film and fashion.

Organisers of the 2026 UMP Awards in Malawi have announced 42 categories for this year’s ceremony, which is scheduled to take place in Blantyre, Malawi, on 5 December.

The categories cover music, media, film and fashion, with this year’s edition introducing Best Trap Act and the National Music Heritage Award.

According to the organisers, the new categories are intended to reflect changes in Malawi’s creative industries while recognising artists from different genres and generations.

UMP Awards coordinator Blessings ‘Hashtag’ Kwenda said the National Music Heritage Award would recognise musicians who have made significant contributions to the country’s cultural identity.

“This is reserved for those musicians whose work shaped the nation's sound, identity and cultural memory across generations,” Kwenda said.

The organisers said the venue for the ceremony would be announced at a later date. Nomination and voting dates will also be communicated in subsequent announcements.

Below is the full list of categories:

Music

  • Artist of the Year (Male)
  • Artist of the Year (Female)
  • Song of the Year
  • Album/EP of the Year
  • Producer of the Year
  • Best Gospel Act
  • Best Hip Hop/Rap Act
  • Best Amapiano Act
  • Best Dancehall Act
  • Best Afrobeats/Afro-Fusion Act
  • Best Traditional/Indigenous Music Act
  • Best Trap Act
  • Best Collaboration
  • Best Music Video
  • Best Music Video Director
  • Best Live Act
  • Best Duo or Group
  • African Artist of the Year
  • SADC Regional Artist of the Year
  • Best New African Act
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Humanitarian Award
  • National Music Heritage Award

Media

  • TV Personality of the Year
  • Radio Personality of the Year
  • Club DJ of the Year (Male)
  • Club DJ of the Year (Female)
  • Best Entertainment Journalist
  • Comedic Content Creator of the Year

Film

  • Best Film
  • Actor of the Year
  • Actress of the Year
  • Film Director of the Year

Fashion

  • Model of the Year (Male)
  • Model of the Year (Female)
  • Best Fashion Designer
  • Fashion Icon Award
  • Best Urban/Streetwear Designer
  • Best Haute Couture Designer
  • Beauty Queen Award, (Reserved for Miss UMP)
Contributor: Portia Haraba

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