Zim radio station launches music awards

The Star FM Music Awards are scheduled to take place at Zimbali Gardens in Greendale, Harare, on 25 January.

The awards ceremony is intended to honour artists who have made a mark on the local music scene as well as musicians whose music received extensive airplay on the station.

“The Star FM Music Awards 2019 is an inaugural event set to honour the radio station's outstanding musicians,” the Star FM website reads. “The awards identify musical excellence and provide a multifaceted celebration of the rich cultural diversity of Zimbabwean music. The Star FM Music Awards’ main objective is to bring respect and sustainability to the country’s music industry.”

Zimpapers Radio Broadcasting Division general manager Comfort Mbofana said: “We had a plan to have the awards over the years. We feel that we need to honour musicians and the contributions they have made to shape Zimbabwe.

“We hope this small act of recognising what they have done will, in turn, catapult them into the international arena. The awards mirror the processes and criteria of regional awards like the Metro FM Music Awards and plans have advanced considerably. The awards primarily recognise music that has featured on the station and was played between 1 January 2018 and 9 November 2018.”

For more information about the event, visit the Star FM Music Awards website.

Below is the full list of categories:

• Best African Pop Song
• Best Sungura Song
• Best Zimdancehall Song
• Best Hip Hop Song
• Best R&B Song
• Best House Song
• Best Song by Zimbabwean in the Diaspora
• Best Gospel Song
• Best Newcomer
• Best Female Artist
• Best Male Artist
• Best Duo/Group
• Best Collaboration
• Best Producer
• Song of the Year
• Album of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Most Played Song
• People’s Choice Award