The Savanna Namibian Comedy Awards are set to take place on 7 December to honour the best Namibian comedians. The awards will celebrate the immense talent and creativity within the Namibian comedy scene. 

It will be hosted at the National Theatre of Namibia, a venue that epitomises excellence in the arts. Guests can expect a night filled with unforgettable performances, surprises and plenty of reasons to laugh until it hurts.

Recognising excellence across 10 diverse categories, including Namibian Comedian of the Year, Social Media Content-Creator of the Year, Namibian Standup Comedian of the Year, Namibian Comedy Actor of the Year, Namibian Comedy Movie of the Year, Vernac Comedian of the Year, Legacy Award (Honouring the pioneers of comedy in Namibia),  Namibian Comedy Adverts of the Year, SSYTYC Champion of the Year and Namibianfav Comedy Club. 

The founder of the Savanna Namibian Comedy Awards, Mitch Gaoseb, better known as Big Mitch, stated that the aim is to showcase not only the humour and talent of Namibian comedians, but also the vibrant culture of Namibia. The evening will be a spectacular celebration, highlighting the ways in which laughter brings people together.

“The comedy awards was a work in progress for the last two years, trying to find the right partners, as a sponsor was the main challenge. We finally got it right this year, and that’s why this year it is happening,” he said. 

He added the winning prizes will solely depend on the generosity of the sponsor for the award. They had to seek out corporates and SMEs to sponsor the categories. 

“The state of comedy in Namibia is really not at its peak level. We are still growing, and we have only opened collaborations with neighbouring countries. This is just the beginning, trust me. This sector is the most impactful and yet the most overlooked. It is very important for Alien Art Studios to host the first awards because this sets on the path of regulation and later forming a commission.” 

He further stressed that 40% of Namibians who are unemployed venture into performance arts, and there was no entity to celebrate them greatly, and now there is.

“Some are comedians, but do not have platforms or proper training, and here’s to Alien Arts to provide that. This awards ceremony will prove to be the highest form of respect and celebration Namibian comedians will get, and can provide comedians with a means of making comedy a constant form of income they can make a living off,” he ended.

-pmukokobi@nepc.com.na