Amid the uproar over artist Jetu missing from the Best Female Artist of the Year category at the MASO Awards, musicians Ethel Kamwendo, Emmie Deebo, and comedian Mr Jokes have chosen to withdraw from their nominations, deciding to take the high road in a challenging situation.
Mr. Jokes, expressing his thoughts, likened the nomination categories to a game where the rules were skewed, emphasizing that the category in which he was nominated did not align with those of his competitors.
“The MASO Awards have divided the music categories into Best Female Artist, Best Collaboration, Best Song, Best Male Artist, and Best Upcoming Artist, yet they seem to have overlooked comedy,” he stated emphatically as if trying to shine a light on an overlooked corner of the industry.
In response, the MASO Awards noted, “We also understand Mr. Jokes’ concerns. Awards can come with pressure, and Mr. Jokes was concerned about the voting progress bar, which appears briefly to allow creatives to strategize their campaigns.”
He also mentioned that his style of comedy differs from others in his category. However, we believe that comedy is a comedy to make people laugh. Expanding the category is something we will consider for next year.”
Veteran gospel artist Ethel Kamwendo Banda, via her Facebook page, expressed her gratitude for the MASO Awards nomination and mentioned that she was thrilled to be considered among such talented artists.
However, she stated that she had decided to focus on her current projects and would pass on the opportunity, planning to reconsider after releasing her projects next year.
“We were surprised by Dr. Ethel’s public decision, as she had referred us to her management team, with whom we were actively in contact. Before the release of the nominees, we reached out to her management, and discussions were ongoing, pending her official confirmation upon her return from abroad.”
We would have appreciated it if her decision to withdraw had been communicated through the same channel used for our prior discussions,” the MASO Awards responded to Ethel Kamwendo.
While the fast-rising female artist Emmie Deebo, whose real name is Emily Zintambira, stated, “All things considered, I have decided not to participate in this year’s MASO Awards. Thank you so much to everyone who nominated me and many thanks to MASO Awards for the opportunity.”
In response, the MASO Awards articulated, “We fully understand Emmie’s position, as she expressed concerns about cyberbullying affecting her mental health, as reported by her manager.
We would like to clarify that Emmie Deebo received her official nomination letter, accepted her nomination, and was fully on board. As MASO Awards, we do not condone cyberbullying of any artist. We have yet to receive an official withdrawal letter from her management and have not accepted her withdrawal.”
In a recent interview with Malawi24, Lulu described Malawian awards as beneficial for rising artists trying to succeed in the industry rather than established ones like himself.
He further pointed out that awards in other countries offer substantial benefits compared to those in Malawi, where winners typically receive only a trophy without any real advantages.
In September this year, one of the country’s celebrated Amapiano stars, Zeze Kingston, called upon his fans to stop nominating him in any future awards. In October, renowned comedian Jamil Chikakuda, known as ‘Che Mandota,’ announced that he would not participate in any future award nominations.
Could it be that the MASO Awards have overlooked key elements that resonate with the artistic community this year?
