THE National Arts Council (BASATA) and Tanzania Film Board (TFB) have been urged to improve the value of Tanzanian artist awards and include artists inside and outside the country.
Gerson Msigwa, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Sports, issued the directive, asserting that such awards that feature artists from abroad will help attract visitors from all around the world and generate economic benefits for the country.
He issued the directives to the two institutions during a dinner event to congratulate artists from Tanzania who had won multiple awards outside the national borders.
“I am honoured to see Tanzanian musicians, actors, actresses and creative content creators winning multiple awards for their country. These are the fruits of hard work. You guys deserve to be acknowledged. “Through your work, the country has been proudly represented and made known to many outside the country’s borders. It’s great, we have won the awards but I wonder why don’t we have such award galas in our country.
“Despite winning these awards such as MTV EMA Awards and Zikomo Africa Awards 2023 the hosting country also benefits a lot. When you travel to their countries you will take a flight to their countries and receive hospitality services, such as hotel, food and transport during your stay.
These benefit the locals in those countries. It is high time we prepared awards that will bring guests and we earn from them,” he said.
Other than issuing the directive, he lauded the artists who won multiple awards and urged them to work hard to win more prizes next year as winning prizes earns honour for the country.
Further, he reminded artists who have been disregarding ethical guidelines and conduct in the community that they have an important role to play in improving the country.
“I urge artists to adhere to the ethics that guide their efforts to earn a living. They should avoid all unethical behaviours or presentations of their work. I personally acknowledge the Tanzania Film Board for the efforts they have in place to ensure such acts are avoided. The problem is still in the music industry but I believe all will go well,” he said.
Comedian Lucas Mhuvile alias Joti, thanked the government for setting up such a memorable dinner for them. Dinner gives them a sense of belonging to the government and also fosters their sense of importance, thereby encouraging their efforts.
