Organisers of Maso Awards said on Tuesday that they were not under pressure after some artists withdrew from the race.
Nominees were unveiled last Friday.
They will compete in 43 categories.
There have been outcries since the release of the nominees following the absence of artists such as Fadah Moti and Jetu in categories such as Best Artist of the Year (Male) and Best Artist of the Year (Female), respectively.
This has been followed by the withdrawal of some artists such as veteran gospel musician Ethel Kamwendo Banda and comedian Andrea Thonyiwa, popularly known as Mr Jokes, who wrote on their social media pages that they had withdrawn from the awards.
The withdrawals have attracted mixed reactions on social media, with some people backing the organisers whereas others feel that the organisers of the awards, whose grand finale will be held at Comesa Hall in Blantyre on December 28 2024, are not transparent.
Kamwendo Banda wrote that she was grateful for the nomination; “however, I have decided to focus on my current projects and pass on this opportunity”.
Asked further as to why she had withdrawn, Kamwendo Banda maintained that what she had communicated on the issue was enough.
Reacting to the development, organisers say they have always stood for values of integrity, fairness and transparency in uplifting and celebrating Malawian talent.
“Our awards structure is carefully designed to uphold these values. Nominations are opened to the public, who vote to determine the nominees, ensuring that the people’s voices drive the choices,” the statement they have issued reads.
The organisers also say only 20 percent of the final decision is reserved for a panel of well-vetted judges, aligning the majority with the public’s selection.
“Once nominations are finalised, we reach out to each nominee, offering them a private opportunity to confirm participation or address concerns before the list is made public,” the statement further says.
Maso Awards organisers say in the statement that they fully respect the decision by some of the nominees within the window but indicate that public withdrawal after the list is released is unprofessional.
Maso Awards organisers also say in the statement that they were against cyber bullying following alleged harassment that some of the nominees were facing.
Maso Awards Chief Executive Officer Augustine Mukisi said they were open to constructive criticism while maintaining that “we are credible in our dealings”.
Director of Arts in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture Humphrey Mpondaminga, while welcoming awards on the ground and other events such as beauty pageants, said there were gaps and that there was a need to clean up the mess.
“We, as a department, have been on the ground monitoring all these awards, pageants and other events and much as there is progress as regards growing the creative sector, we have noted that there are several gaps,” Mpondaminga said.
He said awards, pageants and other events had to be credible and properly executed.
“Once the National Arts and Heritage Council is established, there will be scrutiny including issuance of permits. Some of the challenges being witnessed now could be because of the gaps that are there,” Mpondaminga said.
Voting for the nominees opened last Saturday and will close on December 20 2024.
The Maso Awards event has returned to Blantyre, having been held in Lilongwe last year, when artists such as Zeze Kingston, who also announced earlier exemption from the awards, dominated.
The awards are running under the theme ‘Towards Exporting Arts for Socio-economic Growth and Development’.
