14 Dec 2023

 Organisers of the highly anticipated Botswana Music Union (BOMU) Awards slated for Saturday at the Royal Aria will honour three people with special awards. Speaking at  a media engagement session on Wednesday, Seabelo Modibe of Events Lab and Total Group said the special awards were the Chairman’s Award, Best International Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Modibe said the Chairman’s Award was the prerogative of the president of BOMU, Phemelo Lesokwane. 

In recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of the Botswana music industry, BOMU will award Kgaogelo Moagi, known as Master KG the Best International Award. 

The internationally acclaimed South African DJ and producer has been instrumental in the advancement of local entertainment, presenting opportunities to some of the local creatives and giving them a chance to penetrate the South African market. 

Master KG’s record label, Wanita Mos, is home to Botswana’s multi-award winning Lushen Kebatlege also known as DJ Ngwazi as well as DJ KSB (real names are Kealeboga Sedumedi) of Phendula hit. 

“His contribution to our industry is impeccable. His artistes from Botswana have also been nominated for the awards; this is an achievement,” Modibe said of Master KG. 

The 2022 Best International Award will be awarded to Mpho Sebina, who was recognised for her achievement internationally. 

Mpho Sebina worked with South Africa twin DJs, Major League, on her award winning Dinaledi song. 

The Lifetime Achievement award will be awarded to David Slater, a unifying force in Botswana showbiz industry, according to Modibe. 

“This is a critical award, which needs careful consideration when selecting the recipient. 

If we are unable to identify ayone, we cannot give away the award just like we did in 2022 when we did not award it,” said Modibe. 

He said Slater was deserving of the award as he created the longest running theatre and music performance festival of Maitisong as well as offering musical trainings to some creatives. 

Modibe also said the Lifetime Achievement Award came with the experience of the recipient in the industry. 

In addition, Modibe said they had engaged the servcies of Frozen Lemon Production Company, an events company owned by a Motswana based in South Africa, Norman Somi.

He said bringing the company on board would give locals an opportunity to get experience and be able to execute what they learnt in future. 

“We realised Botswana have talent, but because they do not have access to working with experts for skills transfer, they do not deliver efficiently as expected on some events,” said Modibe adding that most Batswana needed job shadowing and skills transfer from companies such as Frozen Lemon to empower them. 

For his part, Lesokwane said their vision as BOMU was to see the awards transforming into a bigger and well organised event, which would be able to attract rewarding sponsors. 

Since working with Events Lab and Total Group, he said they had noticed growth and improvement in organisation of the music awards. 

“I am glad to have been given another term to deliver further on our mandate. I pledged to instill discipline when I started with  this organisation and I have been doing that,” Lesokwane said. 

With the background he has from the military, Lesokwane said his promise of instilling discipline in the organisation has started showing results.  

Meanwhile, the awards ceremony will be in three parts.

First it with the 25-metre red carpet for an hour, which will be followed by the awards ceremony and performances and the last part, which is the back stage interview of winners and other people of interest. ENDS