The Namibian Annual Music Awards are Namibia's national music awards, recognising excellence across the country's music industry. Established in 2011, the awards have honoured Namibian artists, producers and industry professionals across ten editions and grown into one of the country's most recognised cultural events.
The 11th edition of the NAMAs launched on 5 August 2026 at the National Theatre of Namibia. It is the first edition led by the government, following the withdrawal of MTC as the main sponsor. Stewardship was taken over by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture in July 2026.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture leads the programme through its Directorate of Arts, in partnership with the National Theatre of Namibia and Namibia Broadcasting Corporation. A Secretariat[kl1.1][CM1.2] manages the day-to-day programme, with a Steering Committee providing governance and independent Vetting, Adjudication and Auditing Committees overseeing entries and results.
Launch: 5 August 2026. Call for submissions opens: 10 August 2026. Submissions close: 11 September 2026 at 17h00. Nominees announced: 26 January 2027. Awards ceremony: 13 March 2027.
Three. The launch took place on 5 August 2026 at NTN Backstage. The nomination launch will take place on 26 January 2027. The awards ceremony on 13 March 2027, with a red-carpet experience, live performances, live broadcast and digital streaming.
The venue will be announced in due course.
Thirty-four awards across four types: 23 entry categories open to artist submissions, 8 non-entry categories decided directly by the judges, 3 special awards and 1 public vote category. Four of these are designated as the top 4 awards, the most prestigious wins of the night.
Best Single, Best Folklore Music (focus on cultural heritage, indigenous expression & preservation) , Best Langarm Album, Best Ma /Gaisa Album, Best Oviritje Album, Best Shambo Album, Best Epera Album, Best Sikokoshi Album, Best Dance Music Album (House, Amapiano, Afro-Tech, Progressive House, and Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Best African Contemporary Album (Afro-fusion, Soukous/Kwasa Kwasa, Kwiku, Kizomba[NS2.1]), Best Urban Popular Music Album (Afro Pop, Afro Beats, Township Disco), Best Kwaito Album, Best Gospel Music Album, Best R&B/Soul Album, Best Rap/Hip Hop Album, Best Reggae/Dancehall Album, Best Jazz/Blues Album, Best Rock/Alternative Album, Best Instrumental Composition, Best Collaboration, Best Choir Album, Best Music Video and Best Live Music Performance/Act.
The non-entry categories, decided by the judges on eligible entries and verified industry data, are Most Streamed Song, Most Radio Played Song, Best Song (People’s Choice Award), Best Album , Best Overall Artist(s), Best Newcomer, Best Producer and Best Duo/Group. The special awards, which are non-competitive, are the Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Achievement in Music and the Contribution to Music Development Award.
Best Overall Artist(s), Best Newcomer, Best Duo/Group, Best Album and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Namibian citizens, permanent residents, African guests and holders of a valid Certificate of Domicile, aged 18 or older. Where a duo or group enters, at least half of its members must meet these requirements.
Commercially released music, made available for sale, streaming, download or broadcast through recognised channels, released between 01 January 2020 - 31 December 2025[NS3.1]. The eligibility window covers the full period since the last edition, so work released independently during those years qualifies.
Entry is free. Submissions are made through the NAMAs online dashboard at www.nama.com.na. Artists without access to digital submission can enter physically at the National Theatre of Namibia in Windhoek or at Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) regional offices around the country. The contact details and physical addresses of all MICT regional offices are available in the comprehensive NAMAs policy document. An artist may submit up to two entries per entry category.
In three independent stages. Vetting checks eligibility, completeness and compliance, with no artistic judgement at this stage. Adjudication sees eligible entries scored by an independent panel of local and international judges against published category criteria. Auditing sees an independent auditor verify the integrity of the scoring before nominees and winners are announced.
Judges are appointed each year for their expertise in their field and the panel is reviewed annually. Namibian judges assess entries for local authenticity and international judges score commercially driven genres. Panel details will be published at the Nominations event only.
Best Song is the NAMAs' people's choice award. The Secretariat compiles a shortlist of the five eligible songs with the highest verified national radio airplay during the eligibility period, which is independently verified and approved by the judges. The public then votes for the winner.
An award statuette and, in most categories, a cash prize. The Best overall Artist of the Term (Premier Award) carries N$200,000 and the Lifetime Achievement Award N$100,000.
Yes. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live through the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, with digital streaming.
National reach through live attendance, NBC television broadcast, radio and print coverage, extended through digital and social platforms across Namibia and the wider region. The audience spans youth, young professionals and mainstream consumers.
The NAMAs are building a year-round platform for artist development, with capacity development, financial advisory services and ongoing media and promotional support. Partners are invited to develop these alongside the awards.
Through consultation with the industry. More than 200 artists and industry representatives attended a stakeholder session in March 2026 and a second session in July 2026 reviewed the NAMAs policy. The category list, the regional submission points and the judging structure came out of that process.
For further information, comments or interview requests:Ms. Tasneem Klazen, NAMAs Project Administrator email: info@nama.com.naABOUT THE NAMASThe Namibian Annual Music Awards are Namibia's national music awards, recognizing excellence across the country's music industry. Established in 2011 by MTC Namibia and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, the awards have run for ten editions and are among the country's most recognised cultural events. In 2026 the awards transferred to the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, which leads the programme through its Directorate of Arts in partnership with the National Theatre of Namibia. The 11th edition launches on 5 August 2026, with the awards ceremony on 13 March 2027. www.nama.com.naSocial media handles and hashtagsInstagram: @namibianawards #NAMA NAMA2027Facebook: @Namibia Annual Music Awards #NAMA #NAMA2027X: @Namibianawds#NAMA #NAMA2027
