The Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) 2020 will formally end tomorrow the final category of Artist of the Decade after an investment of N$100 million into the music industry over the past 10 years.
The partnership between telecommunication giant MTC and the national broadcaster will come to an end as the anticipation awaits for the Best Artist of the Decade, a category filled with seven talented and accomplished musicians comprising of Oteya, Mushe, King Tee Dee, Lize-Ehlers, Exit, Gazza and Blossom.

Mushe told Entertainment Now! that steadiness is a talent he has mastered since joining the industry more than a decade ago. “Consistency is a talent I have, I provoked something I couldn’t run away from. I couldn’t start something and leave it halfway. I still have 10 more years to make an impact in this industry,” he stated.
Moral support is something that he values and when he wins the Artist of the Decade award, he will plough back into the industry. “If I win this award, there is a lot of projects that I would like to embark on. I am going to do a lot to improve myself and fellow industry colleagues,” he mentioned.

He said: “There are a lot of upcoming and underground artists who need exposure, I will be pushing and routing for them plus attempt to go international to put the county on the map.” 

Another nominee, NAMAs 2019 artist of the year Lize Ehlers said the only thing that made her stay in the industry for more than 10 years in representation. “I want to let coloured girls know they have a place at the table and can be accommodated in the industry. And that had to be done with the production of good quality music, appealing music,” she enlightened.

Winning the Artist of the Decade category would confirm her hard work. “Yo! If I win this award, it will confirm that hard work pays off, all is not in vain. It will mean that music has value and serves a huge purpose, winning this will confirm that purpose,” she said. 
MTC’s Tim Ekandjo said: “Seeing that this is MTC’s last NAMAs, we wish to celebrate that one artist of the decade which by definition is the artist that has won the most NAMAs accolades collectively over the NAMAs 10-year period.”

The hardworking and lucky artist of the decade gets to walk away with N$100 000. Ekandjo re-iterated that by definition, the artist of the decade is the artist that has won the most NAMAs accolades collectively over the NAMA 10-year period.
In a press statement earlier this year, the organising committee shocked the country and music enthusiasts by divorcing with the awards.
“We wish to assure the music industry that this was not an easy decision to take, but after 10 years of making a concrete contribution, we feel it is time to move on and allow somebody else to take this project to the next level,” read the statement.

It went on to say the fact that they are ending the NAMAs does not necessarily mean they have lost interest in the music industry.
“We remain proud of the brand we have built, a credible and entertaining brand second to none on the African continent, and one that would be easy to maintain in terms of its momentum. We would like to thank the NBC, all our partners, Rockstar Namibia and everybody that supported us for the last nine years. Working with all Namibian artists on this project has been an experience of a lifetime and they made this project one that will always go down as one of the best in our memory lane. Our task is now to deliver the last and unforgettable 10th NAMAs,” said Ekandjo.

In 2010, the then Sanlam/NBC Music Awards was concluded, ending a seven-year corporation with the national broadcaster on the basis that the company (Sanlam) had fulfilled its goals set in 2003.-psiririka@nepc.com.na