By Rinelda Mouton
Many artists have said there is no hype about the upcoming Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs).
Artists have also complained that the required documentation for entry is too much and sometimes difficult to obtain.
The awards celebrate the very best of Namibian music.
Founded in 2011 by MTC Namibia and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, the awards grew into one of Namibia’s most recognised cultural events, spanning dozens of categories and reaching audiences nationwide through live events, television, radio and digital media.
Following a five year hiatus, the NAMAs return in 2026 as a Government of the Republic of Namibia initiative.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture leads the project through its Directorate of Arts, working in partnership with the National Theatre of Namibia.
Organisers said their vision is to create a sustainable national platform that recognises artistic achievement, strengthens confidence in Namibia’s music industry and showcases Namibian talent locally, regionally and internationally.
Celebrated multi award winning Afro jazz and traditional musician, Erna Chimu, said the submission for entry is challenging.
“I tried to enter, but the requirements are too much. So far I do not have all the documentation to enter, but I will get them all together and enter. I am glad that the awards are back. Artists have to be awarded for what they do. We will try to keep music alive,” Erna Chimu said.
Some of the supporting documents required include only artists who are 18 years and above, signed AI Declaration Letter, signed Copyright Declaration, Signed Producer Consent Declaration, Collaboration Agreement, Lyrics and Performance Act Declaration Letter.
Supporting documents, including certificates, letters, declarations and other supporting evidence, must be submitted in PDF format.
Where supporting documents are submitted in another file format, the Vetting Committee may request that the entrant resubmit the documents in PDF format within the prescribed timeframe.
Failure to comply with such a request may result in the disqualification of the submission.
Erna Chimu further said gathering all the needed documents for entry is putting some artists under financial strain.
“Artists have to travel long distances to get everything needed together. As we all know, transportation in our country is expensive. I hope in the future entry will be made easier,” she said.
Erna Chimu further said she hopes that entries will be judged based on the quality of music and not by popularity.
“We want fairness please,” she said.
Erna Chimu is glad that new categories were added, saying this allows different cultures to be included.
New categories such as Langarm, Choir, Folklore, Urban Popular Music, Rock/Alternative Album, Sikokoshi Album and Instrumental were added.
Renowned Gospel artist Naftalie Amukwelele, known as D Naff, agrees, saying the documentation required is too much and sometimes not possible to get.
“Getting signatures from col- laborative artists and producers are hectic and difficult to get since some are out of Namibia and some are dead. Also I think that online submissions are not working,” D Naff said.
Otjiwarongo based artist Saggarias Karunga, better known as Kalux, has mixed feelings about the requirement of a full album.
“This is good as it is pushing artists to put in more work. This requirement is also bad especially for upcoming artists and those who cannot afford to release an album. Releasing music is expensive and can be time consuming,” Kalux said.
Kalux said the hype this time is lower than before.
He, however, hopes that at a later stage more people will be hyped about the event.
Blues singer Riaan Smit said there is some repetition in the application process.
He said it would be great if artists could create a profile where their basic information and supporting documentation could be stored, rather than having to repeatedly submit the same documents when entering multiple categories.
“I’m particularly happy to see the introduction of Alternative & Rock, as well as Blues & Jazz categories. Those are genres with a long standing and very active presence in Namibia, and it’s great to see them being recognised in their own right. I think bringing the NAMAs back is a really positive development. Namibia has an incredibly diverse and talented music community, and having an official platform to recognise and celebrate those achievements is important, not only for the artists themselves but for the cultural identity of the country,” Smit said.
M’kariko Amagulu, the Director of Arts in Namibia who is leading the official revival of the NAMAs, admitted that the hype about this year’s event is low.
Amagulu said thus far over 600 online submissions have been received.
Amagulu said the entry submission deadline for the 2026/2027 awards has been officially extended to 1 October at 17h00.
The original deadline was 11 September.
“We have noticed that the submissions are low, especially from the regions.
We have extended the date to give more artists the platform to enter. Our team is currently busy doing more outreach. We aim to reach as far as possible,” Amagulu said.
