The Namibian Annual Music Awards (Namas) over the years have seen technical mishaps with live broadcast surprises and controversies over the conduct and how the voting for winners was done.

The question of fairness came into play as music enthusiasts and supporters called  the genres of the awards biased.

However, with all these glitches, one cannot take away the fact that the awards at one point grew into a national music event, a unifier promoting local artists, instilling self-discipline in terms of producing content promptly and fully recognising the impact that the industry can have on the economy.

Arts and culture deputy minister Dino Ballotti recently announced the return of the awards for this year, as funds are set aside. 

This was clearly outlined by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in the quest to invest in the creative industry. 

It is imperative that whoever takes charge of organising the awards ensures that it is of international standards.

Address basics

Firstly, organisers should invest in proper sound equipment. 

It is inevitable for one to avoid technical glitches, as sound and visuals are crucial for such an event. 

No one wants to watch a show that sounds like people are talking through a tin. 

We have witnessed freezing screens and others blacking out, leading organisers to publicly apologise. 

For a world-class show, one cannot compromise on sound quality. 

So, whether it is the hiring of the best equipment, something needs to be done to improve the sound quality.

Secondly, Namibian musicians need to start taking themselves seriously. 

We all know that nerves and excitement can sometimes get the best of us, especially when they scoop awards.

We can never forget Lady May’s middle finger in 2014 when a flood of emotion took over when she ended her acceptance speech.

Also, there is no need to remind you of her flipping her finger and saying, “Good night motherf*ers”.

Who can forget when Blossom was slapped with a ban for a year after posting on Facebook about something that was deemed tribal? 

She said things were taken out of context and that there was a misrepresentation, as she said it in Oshiwambo.

Still on the topic of musicians, is there a rule on how many people can accompany a winner on stage and how many minutes the winners have to give an acceptance speech? 

That part of the show is always chaotic. 

It needs to change.

There have been instances of questionable award decisions that created doubt in the voting integrity of the awards, especially when it comes to the Artist of the Year category. 

There was a time when the awards were criticised for focusing heavily on Kwaito and Hip-Hop, which led to other genres being neglected, especially traditional music and other ethnic groups, since the Namibian music industry is diverse.

The event needs to uphold a certain decorum in terms of quality. 

Recurrent issues about delay, weird stage setup, misbehaving musicians due to intoxication, dead air, authenticity and inclusiveness are some of the key issues that must be solved to make it more appealing.

We want music enthusiasts to look forward to the Namas like they do at the Met Gala and Super Bowl performances in America.

It all boils down to the time of work put into hosting the award.

*Paheja Siririka is a lifestyle journalist. The views expressed herein are not a reflection of the New Era publication.