The recent National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) ceremony stirred controversy and criticism after it was revealed that Tahle We Dzinza was awarded the Video of the Year accolade for her song ‘Damage’ that does not have an accompanying music video. However, it turned out that the song has a video but was not on YouTube; instead, it is available on other streaming sites.
Despite not having reached significant visibility on platforms like YouTube, Tahle’s song titled ‘Damage’ unexpectedly clinched the award.
This surprising turn of events sparked controversy and raised questions about the transparency and credibility of the NAMA selection process.
In an effort to set the record straight, Tahle Wedzinza has issued a statement regarding the NAMA award issue.
Tahle We Dzinza, through her management, the winning video that received the NAMA award was not submitted by her but by film producer Jonathan Samukange. They clarified that the video in question was submitted by the video director, and it was the video director who ultimately won the music video award.
“Tahle We Dzinza has always collaborated with other artists. The application in question was submitted by the film producer Jonathan Samukange in his capacity as a film maker and not by Tahle We Dzinza in her capacity as a musician. This is not the first time that artists have approached us to use Tahle’s music to show case their skill and craft.”
She further revealed that the award was awarded to Jonathan Samukange for the direction of the music video not to her as a musician. Tahle Wedzinza stated that on the day of the NAMA awards, Jonathan Samukange is the one who received the award in his capacity as a film director.
“The award in essence was awarded to Jonathan Samukange for the direction of the music video. This is the reason for those who watched the NAMA’s , Jonathan Samukange of DreamHaus received the award in his capacity as a film director as he was the applicant not Tahle We Dzinza. The NAMA award is not hers and she never accepted it.”
Tahle We Dzinza expressed her gratitude to NAMA for their prompt assistance in addressing the questions surrounding the award. She acknowledged their helpfulness in clarifying the situation and resolving any concerns related to the award.
“We would like to thank both National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, who have been extremely helpful and professional in attending to the questions we raised on this award. They explained the NAMA award application processes to us and we are thankful for their transparency and support. We also want to thank ZIMURA for their invaluable counsel,” reads part of the statement.
