Does Namibia need a return of the Namibia Annual Music Awards (Namas)? If yes, what would they look like in 2025/2026 and beyond? Does the industry really stand to benefit from a return of the Namas? Or perhaps a whole new awards ceremony different from the famed Namas? What would the sponsorship model be like? 

Does corporate Namibia have the appetite to invest in music these days? Where do we stand on research and development right now in terms of music awards in Namibia? The Namas formally ended in 2020 after MTC pumped in an investment of N$100 million into the awards over the past 10 years. 

The question now is…was it worth it? Did MTC get their return on investment? Did MTC get the mileage they hoped to from the awards in the 10 years? We all remember the drama that came with the awards every single year. Every year, MTC’s PR team had to put out fires for one reason or the other. Did the drama stain MTC’s brand or did it enhance it? Did that N$100 million move the music industry to a higher level? Or is the music industry still stuck in
2010? 

Do we have any other corporate entity with MTC’s financial might? Surely it cannot be anything less than N$100 million if another company steps up? Is this corporate entity ready to deal with the drama? Do they have a responsive PR team? A PR team that works round the clock? Does this corporate entity understand that musicians have the biggest egos and delusional tendencies in the human race? 

Do Namibians…the ordinary wo(man) on the street care for the return of the Namas or any other form of awards strictly dedicated to music? Do Namibians, who we know love anything but Namibian, give a sh*t about awarding Namibian musicians? If yes, will it make market and business sense to invest N$100 million in the return of the Namas with the few Namibians that will care for a return of the awards? 

Will musicians respect the processes of the newly established awards or returned version thereof? I remember very well how an alarming number of musicians would lash out when they did not get nominated or lost a category. Will artists attend workshops organized for them by the awards? Will artists observe decorum on the night of the spectacle? Will musicians invest their prize money into a sustainable future? 

Questions that need answers. Where do you stand? Does Namibia need the return of the Namas or some form of new awards platform for musicians? Hit me up on X using the hashtag #IndustryLoop stating your case. Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM.

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