Botswana: BOMU Awards add new categories

The BOMU Awards will now honour local and international artists in 40 categories. The new categories are Best International Artist for Africa, Best Actor/Actress, Best Television Show and Best Programme.

“We've added four new categories because we're complementing, appreciating and honouring each other," BOMU president Pagson Ntsie told Music In Africa.  

"The TV and film categories, for example, use songs as background music. We have done so because the creative industry continues to grow and we have to align ourselves with the trend."

Ntsie said the addition of the new categories had been made through a public participation process.

“We have about eight regions in the country and what we normally do is go around the regions and people suggest the additional categories for a particular year. BOMU is an association, it belongs to the people and it’s for the people,” he said.

Nsie told a local publication that the Best International Artist Award was inspired by artists outside Botswana such as South Africa's Winnie Mashaba, who had shown interest in being part of the event.

“This year we are celebrating 10 years, so we want the awards to be bigger and better. The whole production is going to change; the set-up will change. We are also going to engage experts to improve the image of the awards as well as bringing a new feel during the event,” Ntsie said.