Organisers of the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards (RoilBAA) have announced structural changes to the awards with the next edition set to be held in August and comprising of fewer categories.
The first two editions of the premier arts awards were held at the Large City Hall before moving to the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in 2019.
The inaugural edition was held on June 30, 2017, while the second edition was moved to the month of May and this time around, they were held in June.
In a statement by the BAA Trust, the organisers of the annual event announced that the 2020 edition will be moved away from the winter months.
“This decision comes after some complaints about the cold weather during the recently held awards ceremony,” said the BAA Trust.
The organisers also announced that they will be reducing the awards categories from “fifty categories to forty categories so as to focus on quality rather than quantity.”
To create more awareness and excitement in the build-up to the awards ceremony, the organisers announced that there will be holding various events.
“The awards will be adding some pre-awards events that will see momentum and excitement gather and culminate in the big awards ceremony. These pre-awards will showcase products nominated for the awards and hopefully give the public a taste of what the awards will be celebrating,” said the BAA Trust.
The organisers are also revealed that the awards will be moving to a new venue within the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC).
“The awards will be moving to another venue, not as big as Hall 4, but big enough and with better acoustics and still the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre,” the organisers said.
They also encouraged artists to continue hardworking and producing quality products.
“We also call upon traditional partners to continue supporting this noble initiative of keeping Bulawayo as a trendsetter as far as the arts are concerned,” said the BAA Trust.
The awards have grown in leaps and bounds to become one of the most attended events in the city.
