Jeoffrey Mukubi
The Namibian Music Awards, formerly known as the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs), has still not garnered sponsorship, barely months before the nomination process for artists are normally launched.
Speaking to unWrap.online, the chief commercial officer for NBC, Umbi Karuaihe-Upi, confirmed the country’s biggest music awards show hangs in the balance, with much uncertainty about its future brought about by the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
According to her, no corporate company has yet taken the bait to sponsor the show, citing the Covid-19 pandemic, which has taken a huge toll on the entertainment sector, as a factor.
“As you know, we are in uncertain times due to Covid-19; so many activities and events are influenced by it. The prospective partners with NBC are also making decisions based on the current situation,” she said.
She added there is no confirmed sponsor at this point, as they are only meeting with prospective partners and information about the event, including the new name under which it will take place, will be available only at a later stage when a decision has been made.
RMB Song Night director and former Female Artist of the Year Lize Ehlers told unWrap.online that not having the NAMAs anymore adds a huge weight on the uncertainty and challenge that Namibian artists (emerging and established) are going through.
“Even if people are slowly getting used to the new normal, artists are working day and night to create new ideas to have some form of income during this pandemic. It is a tragedy that Namibia has no form of financial security for people whose livelihoods were directly taking away by the pandemic,” Ehlers said.
The NAMAs, which lasted for ten years, was preceded by the Sanlam-NBC Music Awards that lasted for seven years until MTC took over as the main sponsor in 2010.