Pumula Royal Arts and Community Awards Announce 2025 Nominees

Nominees for this year’s Pumula Royal Arts and Community Awards have been announced, and organisers say the sixth edition will be bigger, better and more glamorous than previous years. The awards recognise individuals and organisations excelling in arts, culture and community service in Bulawayo. The ceremony will take place on December 20, with the venue to be revealed soon.

The nominee list features Bhila, Mlue Jay, Mandie Mae, Briza, Fab G of Imali Yesigweja fame, Pumula Arts and Crafts Centre, Gabriel French and Klyve Beats among others. The event will be hosted by Brighton Ncube, Sipho Mercent Nyathi, Ma Nare, Poet Lethu, Nessa Nobz and Admire J Banda. The hosts are expected to bring energy and creativity to the stage.

Praca director Happy Mpofu said lessons from past editions helped the team refine the awards. He noted strong progress in planning. This year’s theme is Transforming Communities: Amplifying Youth Voices, Accelerating Change through Arts and Youth Creative Engagement. The goal is to uplift young creatives and highlight young business people contributing to Pumula’s growth.

Organisers will run several build-up events from December 18. The programme includes workshops, exhibitions and awareness activities. These events will feature a Youth in Arts and Business Indaba, the Zimbabwe Key to the City Festival and a solidarity march around Pumula. The activities aim to promote mental health, support youth entrepreneurship, raise climate change awareness and strengthen efforts against drug abuse.

The second day will feature a Nominees Stakeholders and Partners Dinner at an exclusive venue. The dinner will include nominee certification, live performances, fine dining and networking opportunities.

The celebrations will conclude on December 20 with the grand awards ceremony. The event marks the final day of the Praca programme.

Mpofu confirmed new partnerships for this year’s edition. Praca has joined hands with Home of Arts Entertainment and several other stakeholders. They also formed a collaboration with the Bulawayo Arts Awards. Both awards take place on December 20. Praca will run in the afternoon while the BAAs will take place in the evening. Winners at Praca will attend the BAAs as special guests.