Call for entries: 2021 Zimbabwe Music Awards

All recordings ­– singles, albums and videos ­– submitted for the 2021 ZIMAs must have been commercially released (in other words, first made available for purchase) in Zimbabwe from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Interested artists can submit their entries here.

The submission deadline is 31 December.

Eligibility

• Entries are open to Zimbabwe Musicians Union members and non-members alike. Entries are open in respect of any qualifying groups or individuals being a person who:

1. Is a Zimbabwean citizen or someone who has been granted a permanent resident status in Zimbabwe for a minimum period of six months prior to the date of entry; and is a Zimbabwean entity and owns or controls the master recording plus copyright relating to the entry in question.
2. Being in a duo or group formation, not less than 50% of the members of the duo/group must comply with the citizenship or permanent residency criteria set out in the clause above.
3. Is a Zimbabwean-based in the diaspora and whose music has performed well or is recognised internationally.
4. The ZIMAs reserve the right to request documented/written proof that all groups or individuals qualify as set out in clause 2. The documents that may be requested include, amongst others, a) Zimbabwean identity document, b) permanent residence permit.
5. Unless the category states otherwise, the entries of collaborations between qualifying Zimbabwean groups or individuals and their international counterparts are allowed ­– provided that the participation of the Zimbabwean groups or individuals is given equal recognition.

• The method employed by the independent auditors in determining the shortlist will take into consideration both the number of plays and the impact or audience reach achieved over the qualifying period.
• Unless otherwise stated, awards are presented for album entries. An album is defined as a commercially available release in any current and known format, subject to the following: it must contain not less than two (2) tracks of previously unreleased recorded performances.

Read more guidelines and requirements here or download the Rule Book below.

Below is the full list of categories:

• Afropop
• Best Album of the Year
• Best Alternative
• Best Collaboration
• Best Corporate Sponsor
• Best DJ
• Best Female Artist of the Year
• Best Group of the Year
• Best International Zim Artist
• Best Male Artist of the Year
• Best Music Video
• Best Newcomer of the Year
• Best Promoter
• Best Videographer
• Chinyakare
• Contemporary Gospel
• Dance
• Engineer of the Year
• Hip Hop
• Imbube
• Jazz
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Most Downloaded Song
• Producer of the Year
• Retro Icon Award 1
• Retro Icon Award 2
• R&B and Soul
• Song of the Year
• Sungura
• Traditional Gospel
• Tshibilika
• Zimdancehall

“The submissions can be made online or physically at ZIMA headquarters in Harare. Those in Bulawayo can physically submit their entries at our offices there,” ZIMAs CEO Reason Sibanda said. “In the interest of system and process integrity, independent auditors will collate results returned by judges into auditable sets.

“The auditors will enumerate results on which a list of up to a maximum five nominees per category is based and ensure that the choices of judges have been arrived at in accordance with all the relevant rules of each category.”

Visit the ZIMAs official website here.