Winners jubilated, losers cried. The glamour as well as the swag was on last Saturday at UMA Lugogo for this year's Pearl of Africa Music Awards. TGIF's Rowland Nkahebwa talked to some of the winners and losers regarding their views on this year's accolades. Below are some of them.
Jackie Chandiru - Oh my! Female artiste of the year? I'm not yet there but Iam glad I was nominated in that category. It means I can potentially be one. As far as nominations go, the awards were fine but it used to bother me that artistes got nominated in categories they shouldn't have been.
Mun*G - There must have been a network problem and my fans messages ere not going through. The fans know the truth though.
Navio - Exactly, I should have been nominated in that artiste of the year category or at least video of the year for 'Keep Moving'. Mith should have been in Hip Hop for his song 'Fire' and Mun*G really did well this year.
I guess the fans opinion is all that matters. It is good a neutral Ernst & Young handled the auditing and voting issues not PAM organizers. Fans have the last say.
Pastor Wilson Bugembe - Iam grateful to th fans because I did not expect to win anything this year. PAM Awards were fair and every winner deserved it. As for my category, Hilderman did well and Im happy for him because his song is good and I love it. He deserved to win by all means.
Toniks - Well I guess anyone who knows what RnB is can see that I am the only artiste in Uganda who really is supposed to appear in that category. The other nominees have made good music but it is not R&B. Surely how can the same song be in R&B and Afro Beat categories? So is it R&B or Afro Beat?
The bottom line is that 90% of Ugandan musicians are supposed to be in the same category and that is Afro Beat or Afro Pop. How can you put Tonik's 'That Gal' and Iryn Namubiru's Birowoozo, or Aziz Azion's ''Oxygen'' in the same category? Unless you have a hearing problem.
GNL Zamba - Well I was not in the country for the awarding ceremony but basing on what I have heard and read in the papers, I think that whoever sponsors PAM awards dictates the winners.
In the Hip Hop category that Iam interested in, Mun*G really deserved to win the two awards. Anyway, at the end of the day, there are always winners but there is always the next year for the losers. (Note: Snoops spotted GNL at the awards. Claiming he wasn't present is a lie).
Radio & Weasel - We are putting all our focus on the MTV and Channel O awards. We don't care about PAM awards.
Hilderman - I was very surprised because I did not expect to win. However personally Iam going by the public opinion and they say that the PAM was fair.
Vampino - Ugandan music can never progress if awards of recognition are being given to the wrong people.
Grace Nakimera - I am not going to lie. I do not know because I was not present at Lugogo for the awarding ceremony. My sister was wedding and I could not miss it for anything.
OS* Suna - There was an element of unfairness at the PAM Awards this year but I don't care about the awards. The fact that I was nominated means Iam already a winner because my hard work is being recognized.
