BOMU awards are back

 

The 13^th Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) Awards will take place on November 23^rd at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC), once again

carrying forward the theme “Music Beyond.”



BOMU, Events Lab, partners and sponsors are working tirelessly to deliver another spectacular gig to surpass last year’s episode that did not only trend on social media, but also ushered in a new era of events and music awards.

The awards will honour producers, artists, and the recording industry’s professionals who have thrilled music lovers with hit after hit over the past year.

With 38 categories in total, this year’s awards also introduce two new categories: Best Traditional Contemporary Music/EP and Best Clap & Tap EP/Record.

Building the Industry and Expanding Opportunities Seabelo Modibe of Events Lab explains that the annual BOMU Awards celebrate the excellence of Botswana’s musicians and act as a platform to promote local music.

They also aim to create networking opportunities for artists and industry professionals both locally and globally through a series of workshops and masterclasses to develop and upskill behind the scenes workers in areas of lighting, audio engineering, stage management, and overall event production.

“This is part of our effort to rebrand and reset the Botswana music industry by attracting international brands, independent music distributors, television broadcasters, and podcasters, to name but a few.”

Through this strategy, they are not only growing the BOMU brand but also expanding the industry commercially and boosting the viewership of their partner, Botswana Television.

Submissions Now Open

The XIII BOMU Music Awards are officially open for entries, with submissions closing on September 30^th.

Artists, producers, record companies, studio managers, and artists’ representatives are encouraged to review the published Awards Rules before submitting.

Submission Guidelines:

• The awards are open to all musicians and creatives, free of charge, although entrants are encouraged to join BOMU.
• Submitted works must have been commercially available between June 2023 and August 2024.
• Music previously submitted for the 2023 awards is not eligible for re-entry.
• After submissions close, all entries will undergo a vetting process to ensure compliance with the awards’ rules and regulations, thereby ensuring eligibility and avoiding disqualification.
• Incorrectly submitted entries will be reassigned to the appropriate categories during the vetting process in consultation with the record companies, artists’ representatives, or artists themselves.
• Following the vetting process, a panel of judges will adjudicate most categories, except for public voting categories like Best Female Artist, Best Male Artist, Best Newcomer, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Group, as well as the Lifetime Achievement category.
• All judging panels will be led by a Chief Judge, and the judges are reviewed annually to maintain fairness and integrity.

Exciting Highlights Leading to the Big Night As we officially begin the countdown to Botswana’s biggest night in music, there are several exciting events lined up, including the highly-anticipated Nominees Launch Party on October 16th, where nominees from the various categories will be unveiled.