A quarter of a century in, the country's biggest arts awards have a blunt message for the people they exist to celebrate: if you want to be considered, put your work forward. The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) opened submissions for the 25th National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) this week, with entries closing on Monday, 30 November 2026 and the Silver Jubilee ceremony set for February 2027.
"Do not assume you will always be noticed"
Speaking at a press conference at Scarlet Studios in Harare on Tuesday, NACZ chief executive Napoleon Nyanhi didn't dress the call up. "Do not make the assumption that you will always be noticed," he told creatives, according to Gemnation.
His point was about how the adjudication actually works. Radio and television stations, along with other institutional monitors, do feed information to the judges, but the process ultimately runs on what is submitted and monitored. If you released something this year that moved an audience, Nyanhi's advice is to enter it rather than trust that it will be picked up anyway. He also asked artists not to leave it to the final days, so adjudicators have enough time to properly assess each entry.
The call is aimed at musicians, actors, dancers, writers and visual artists across the country.
What to submit, and how
NAMA's standing rules, as summarised by Pindula, accept work produced between 1 December of the previous year and 30 November of the award year, and entry is open to Zimbabwean nationals and residents whether or not they're registered with NACZ. On that pattern, the Silver Jubilee edition covers work released from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026.
Until NACZ publishes the full guidelines for this edition, last year's process is the best guide. For the 24th edition, most entries came in through an online portal, but the council warned in late November that many were incomplete: artists had filled in the form without emailing their supporting material, such as download links to the work itself, to namasubmissions@gmail.com. NACZ said that step was mandatory, and an entry without it wouldn't be considered. It's the kind of technicality that quietly knocks strong work out of the running, so anyone entering should finish both steps on the same day.
A jubilee after a record year
The 25th edition follows a noticeably bigger 24th. According to NewsDay figures cited by Pindula, last year's awards drew 2,382 submissions, with film entries up 46.5% and literature entries up 148% on the edition before. The 24th edition also expanded to 44 awards, adding Fashion and Digital Arts categories for the first time.
Scarlet Studios and Events Evolution, who produced that ceremony, are back for the jubilee. Nyanhi told Hurumende the pair delivered a show that matched the prestige of the awards on their first outing, and that NACZ trusts them to build on it for the 25th.
The credibility question
Nyanhi also went out of his way to defend the integrity of the process. NACZ only guides and observes the adjudication, he said, adding: "We do not vote, and we do not select winners," as reported by Hurumende. The judging sits with an independent panel, and for the 24th edition NACZ brought in Alinial Chartered Accountants to oversee adjudication, which Pindula describes as the first time a professional auditor monitored the process.
That reassurance lands against a sharp backdrop. In March, an opinion piece in The Herald described the 24th ceremony as "a gilded farce," pointing to a public dispute over a performance of the classic Chirangano Chedu, in which Gary Tight accused Dino Mudondo and the organisers of erasing his father Willom Tight's contribution. The same piece revisited NAMA's 2024 decision to give Outstanding Music Video to Tahle Wedzinza for Damage, a video the writer said still isn't publicly available. To be fair to the organisers, the Herald column also credited the production with vibrant performances and genuine inclusivity, including sign language interpretation on the night.
What it means for artists
The practical takeaway is simple: a milestone edition means a bigger spotlight, and a nomination at the 25th NAMA carries extra weight for anyone trying to build a career, particularly newer artists who don't yet have radio rotation working in their favour. Monitoring by broadcasters naturally favours music that's already on air. Writers, visual artists, dancers and digital creatives are far more likely to be overlooked unless they enter themselves, and last year's 148% jump in literature entries suggests at least one of those communities has already taken that lesson on board.
It's also a test for NACZ. Nyanhi used the same press conference to invite more corporate sponsors in, pitching NAMA as a statement of belief in local talent and a marketing opportunity. Sponsors and artists alike will be watching whether the jubilee delivers on the transparency promises, especially after this year's criticism.
For now, the clock is running. Artists have a little over two months to get their work on the adjudication table.
Sources
- NAMA 2027 Submissions Open: Artists Urged to Enter Before 30 November Deadline, Gemnation
- NAMA marks 25th edition with Silver Jubilee celebrations, Hurumende
- Update on NAMA 24th Edition, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe
- NAMA slammed over IP theft, confusion and poor production: 'A gilded farce', The Herald
- National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA), Pindula
