The annual Kisima Music and Film Awards (KMFAs) ceremony is being held today (December 13) at the Sarit Centre, Nairobi.
The theme of the annual event is “Reawakening the soul, spirit and vibrancy of the African music and film industry”.
The awards started off as a Kenyan event in Nairobi in 1997, with clay trophies.
The awards have since continued to expand, attracting international entrants and personalities, and have come to be an integral part of both Kenyan music and culture.
The franchise is owned by Dr Fred Simiyu, chairman of IQ Marketing, which is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua (left) during the signing of the MoU with Kisima Music and Film Awards Chairman Fred Simiyu at Uchumi House, Nairobi on November 13 2020.
Photo credit: Anthony Njagi | Nation Media Group
Dr Simiyu, who is the event’s chairman, said there is great need to support Kenya's creative sector in order to generate job opportunities for the youth as well as expand the industry which was previously viewed as only fit for rejects and school dropouts.
Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua welcomed the opening up of the awards to regional artistes. He revealed that the overall winner will receive a Sh1 million reward.
Dr Mutua said the expansion to cover the African continent will go a long way in realising the dream of giving Africa its own identity through film and music.
"The partnership that we are launching here finds a perfect nexus with our Sinema Mashinani initiative that seeks to promote a heightened production and consumption of local content through the telling of our stories in our own languages for both local consumption and even for export,” he said.
Through this initiative, the board, in collaboration with county governments, will identify and nurture raw talent, he said, adding that the future of post Covid-19 business continuity lies in private and public partnerships.
“Content creators need to be assured that we appreciate and consume local content since it identifies with our cultural constructs, moral values and national aspirations,” Dr Mutua said during the signing of the MoU with KMFAs at Uchumi House, Nairobi recently.
Kenya’s entertainment industry has evolved into a multi-billion shillings industry with stand-up comedy, acapella groups, TV dramas and filmmakers thriving locally and abroad. Artists have also found a home in radio and TV shows with others becoming brand ambassadors of various products.
