HIGH SOUNDING NOTHING? The Value of Arts Awards To The Arts Industry

Arts awards are often regarded with uncertainty regarding their value. Image by Urban Culture

BY THABANI H. MOYO | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | AUG 22, 2021

With the Bulawayo Arts Awards coming up on September 9, Moyo sets the framework of what meaningful awards mean.

BULAWAYO (The Citizen Bulletin) — The Bulawayo Arts Awards (BAAs) dates has been announced and naturally, the city and the surrounding regions have been gripped by the awards frenzy.

It is indisputable that the BAAs are one of the region’s premiere events and every artist and arts organisation within the region want to be associated with the awards in one way or the other.

The nomination process is underway with artists and arts organisations soliciting nominations. This instalment explores the value and impact that artists, new and seasoned, derive from winning art awards.

We ask, do awards bring any value and impact to the artists and arts organisations?

While arts awards can provide good publicity and are effective for enhancing artists' morale, they are also often regarded with uncertainty regarding their value when it is unclear how many entries were involved and whether the judges were capable of making an appropriate decision.

Sometimes the value of the awards depends on the organisers. Some awards organisers are biased sources and their awards are viewed with scepticism. It is important that organisers are neutral sources.

Awards are ever-present across many societies and are conferred at various levels and on varying bases. Awards have no universally accepted purpose but they have these components: the publicity value for the winners, vague evaluation criteria, the unenforceability of awards and their tournament character.

Awards are also recognized as potentially having a motivational effect, incentivizing desired behaviour, but also as having an ongoing impact.

They create and establish artist role models, distribute information about the successful and desirable behaviour of artists and encourage loyalty. Arts awards are becoming increasingly established in the creative industry to motivate both arts organizations and individual artists.

Arts Awards are social incentives that have a positive impact on artists’ performance. Arts awards are usually considered as sideshows to the actual creative industry business activity.

To some awards do not receive significant attention in the creative industries and activities.

In the past, some artists have dismissed arts awards as valueless. To them, awards are a ‘gold’s fool.’

As we have indicated, awards targeting artists and arts organisations are a means of recognizing achievement and encouraging further sector growth and innovation. The awards act as indicators for an artist and organisation’s brand growth and the conferment of an award indicates to a potential target marketer that an artist has.

Most awards ceremonies are usually attended by captains of industry, politicians and leaders in the creative sector which provides excellent networking opportunities. Some arts organisations take small teams to the ceremonies which enhance the team ethos and sense of unity.

Winning the award is an opportunity for individual artists or arts organisations to promote their marketing and public relations. These include press releases to local, regional and national newspapers/ magazines, website and social media announcements.

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Winning an award brings with it a feel-good factor. Awards are a good booster and congratulations show artists that what they are doing is good and they get recognition. Winning an award also builds new networks. It broadens one’s sphere of influence.

However, it has to be noted that this is usually short term. Currently, Arts Awards don’t come with huge financial benefits. This has frustrated most arts awards winners. It is true, with a large cash prize and massive exposure; awards would be far more meaningful.

It would really help artists to grow their arts businesses to the next level.  For Arts awards providers maybe they should consider the following in their processes:

First, the Arts award nomination process should be as straightforward as possible as regards administration. The application process should involve face-to-face interviews with participants. Secondly, the arts award categories should give all kinds of artists the opportunity to participate.

It is normal to hear some artists complaining that their categories have not been taken care of. Finally, artists should be the main focus of the arts award competition, and the aim should be to promote and financially support them to greater stages of development.

Therefore, we call upon a high level of professionalism and transparency in the whole process, from nomination stage, voting, adjudication and awards night.

Awards should not be dished out to some artists on the notion that they pull corporate sponsorship. No. That kills the spirit of awarding deserving people; hence some dismiss awards as “golds fool”.