Come December 10 the stars will emerge to shine at the glitzy and glamorous red carpet event, the Yarona Fm Music Awards, and the nominees have been unveiled for Batswana to vote for
It is that time of the year when social calendars are abuzz with activities and the order of the day is fun nights out, entertainment and partying. The Yarona Fm Music Awards (YAMAS), Botswana’s very own annual, glamorous red carpet event is back this third time around and it has been slated for December 10, 2016.
At the nomination announcement held this Thursday, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the of Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture, Peter Choto, explained that it was indeed heartening to witness Yarona Fm’s relentless support of the local music industry. “In my belief the Yarona FM Music Awards are a celebration of excellence, creativity, innovation and development. While the awards do reward individual talent, they are also a celebration of the strength and robustness of Botswana’s music industry as a whole, demonstrating our abilities as artists,” said Choto.
With 15 different categories and awards up for grabs, new kid on the block, Hip Hop star Ban T who shot to stardom after releasing his hit single Naomi, has done well for himself scooping a total of six categories nominations namely: Best Collaboration, Best Single Hip Hop Motswako, Song of the year, People’s Choice Award, Best Newcomer and Best Single Male artist.
Don’t let 23-year-old Dramaboi’s tender age confuse you because he is a veteran in the local music industry. He is in with five nominations, one less than Ban T, because he cannot be nominated for Newcomer Award since he has been around for some time.
Dramaboi and his sister Katlego are making history as siblings as their song Sala Le Nna has been nominated for the Best Collaboration and Song Of The Year awards. Not to be outdone, blooming Katlego has three YAMA nominations of her own.
“Yarona FM aims to build the entertainment industry in Botswana hence the creation of platforms such as the YAMAs to further enhance the quality of local music and create exposure for local artists. As Yarona FM we are proud to have played a role in developing the local music industry in this regard and are enthusiastic about its growth for years to come,” said the radio’s Station Manager, Kelly Ramputswa.
In his closing remarks Choto encouraged Batswana to continue supporting the local music industry and urged all artists to work hard at growing themselves and their remarkable talent as it is a possible tenet for economic diversification and through music artists are able to put Botswana on a global platform thus marketing her to the international community.
Voting lines will be open to the public from September 15, 2016 (yesterday) until November 14, 2016. Only music released between late 2015 and early 2016 will be considered in the nominee’s selection. The public will vote for their preferred artists via Short Message Service across the 15 different categories.
