300 nominated for inaugural Janzi Awards

A total of 300 nominees were on Friday evening unveiled as the final list in the first ever Janzi Awards during a star-studded event in the Sheraton Hotel gardens.

Speaking about the function, the chairperson for Janzi Award organising committee, Sylivia Owori said they had received over 75000 before reducing it down to 300 from which the winners will be announced next month.

She noted that the awards are meant to celebrate the creative industry and the role it plays in creating employment as well as its contribution to the economy.

“These awards were born out of the Gulu arrangements (where musicians visited Gen Saleh) but are also a testament that government is ready to support this industry. Government has finally given us its ear,” she said.

Owori, the director of operations at Operation Wealth Creation explained that the creative arts industry is currently undergoing a revolution but urged the need for unity for all players.

“Let us stop fighting each other. The fact that the creative industry has gone to parliament is a big step forward. This is part of the arts and culture revolution. With the Janzi Awards, we want more creative talents discovered and celebrated. Let us unite the country through creative arts,”Owori said.

Nominations

At the function held at Sheraton Hotel gardens on Friday evening, several artists were unveiled as nominees in the different categories including performing arts, visual arts, crafts, books and publishing, software and innovations, cultural and national heritage, music, film and video.

According to organisers, the Janzi Awards Academy (JAA) members from each of the 9 domains (Music, Performing Arts,

Collecting Societies, Film & Video, Visual Arts & Crafts, Books & Publishing, Software &

Innovations, Cultural & National Heritage, Support Services) voted to determine the nominees as submitted by the public, in their respective categories.

For example, actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, musicians nominate musicians, writers nominate writers among others.

Members of the JAA will then review the nominees after the public vote is closed on December,5 and vote for the winners in all 96 categories.

The public vote constitutes 30% of the overall winner’s vote.

In addition to the categories announced on Friday, the Janzi Awards Academy will honour  Afrigo Band’s Moses Matovu  with the Janzi Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in Music.

The award is given to performers, who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance in the domain of music and will rotate between the different domains annually.

The full list of nominees can be viewed from the Janzi Awards website, www.janziawards.com.

The winners of the 2021 Janzi Awards will be announced on December  11 and 12 at the Kololo Independence Grounds.