Muslim Arts Awards Expands to Media Category
By Enock Chitemwe.
Every year, the Muslim Arts Awards (MAA) recognizes outstanding contributions by Muslim artists and individuals. Over the past two years, artists have been celebrated in various categories, including best poem, best poet, best actor, best comedian, best nasheed, best nasheed videographer, and best nasheed artist. Last year, notable winners included Aqeel Masinja for best nasheed artist, Ahmed Pilo for best nasheed producer, Jamil Chikakuda (Che Mandota) for best comedian, and Rajab Anusa for best poet. The awards ceremony took place on December 22 at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre, with coverage on television and social media.
Despite some criticism from certain Muslim groups regarding the event’s alignment with Islamic teachings, MAA defends the initiative as a positive way to recognize impactful contributions to the Islamic community and society at large. This year, MAA plans to host the awards ceremony in December, with artists encouraged to submit at least three artworks from 2024 for evaluation by independent experts. Shortlisted works will then be voted on by the public.
Bashir Amin, the Media and Communications Officer for MAA, announced the inclusion of a new media category, acknowledging the vital role of media personnel in promoting Islam and addressing societal issues.
“Preparations for the annual Muslim awards are progressing well. We are securing finances, as such an event requires significant funding. We are engaging with partners and potential sponsors to enhance this year’s initiative and foster creativity among Muslim artists and media personnel,” Amin stated. “We aim to make this year’s event bigger and better by expanding the categories.”
This year’s awards will include categories for nasheeds, drama, poetry, media, and video. Categories such as best nasheed artist, best actor, best comedian, best personality on TV, and best video director will be featured, among others. Submissions opened on October 1 and will close on October 20. The results will be announced on December 20 during the Muslim Arts Awards at Amaryllis Hotel.
MAA partnered with Amaryllis Hotel in 2022 to host the event. Various companies have sponsored the awards to promote their brands. Recently, Liberty Immigration Services donated 2 million Kwacha to support this year’s ceremony. Jaba Alide, MAA patron, commended this generous gesture, expressing hope that this year’s event will be highly anticipated.
