THE 13th edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) once again proved that music is the life blood of Zimbabwean arts, after Jah Prayzah walked away with four awards.
The night certainly belonged to the Harare based musician who had a wonderful year with his 2013 release, Tsviriyo, earning him recognition and widening his fan base throughout the country.
For his effort Jah Prayzah walked away with Outstanding Male Musician, Outstanding Album, Outstanding Song and the People’s Choice Awards.
His video for the song Mwanasikana produced by Willard Magombedze was judged the most outstanding video for 2013.
The awards ceremony, beamed live on state television, was also a litmus test for the organisers, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, to prove that the awards have grown in stature and can match similar ceremonies the world over.
The decision to stage the awards in Bulawayo for the second year running won them a lot of support from arts stakeholders from the region who have been clamouring for the decentralisation of the event. 
The venue, Rainbow Hotel, was a fitting choicee for an event of such magnitude. 
However, the event had its own fair share of high and lows.
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