ZIMA unveils nominees, helps fight Covid-19

By Tatenda Kunaka
The Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA)’s newly introduced category of Best Covid-19 Awareness Song is meant to help sensitise the populace on the coronavirus.
In an interview with Nhau, ZIMA spokesperson Benjamin Nyandoro said the newly introduced category had received an overwhelming response.
“We should recognise the role being played by music in reducing the spread of the virus,” said Nyandoro.
Several musicians among them Albert Nyathi, Dereck Mpofu, Jah Signal, Sista Flame, Chief Shumba Hwenje, Nicholas Zacharia, Suluman Chimbetu, Simon Mutambi, Tatenda Pinjisi, among others, have either produced or featured in Covid-19 campaign tracks.
Nominees for the 2020 awards are set to be revealed this week.
“We are going to release the nominees on Wednesday live on Facebook and the host will be television personality Arthur Evans,” said Nyandoro.
The ceremony is taking place on February 20 in Harare.
“If the situation allows us we are hosting the ceremony on February 20 at the Country Club in Harare via a hybrid of platforms.
“Depending on lockdown regulations put in place by authorities, if the situation is not conducive we are not going to postpone, it will be held virtually.”
ZIMA is a platform that celebrates and rewards local and diaspora artists, who would have excelled in the previous year.
A total of 1 235 artists submitted their works for consideration. Nhau/Indaba