The National Arts Council of Zambia has unveiled the nominees for the 2025 Ngoma Awards. The prestigious ceremony is set to take place on December 11, 2025, at Ceila Resort & Spar, with each winner walking away with a prize of 20,000 Kwacha.
Voting is now open. See the full nominees list below;
》STAGE THEATRE CATEGORY (NATAAZ)
1. Best Production
□ Brother Handiya’s PHD
□ Mother of the Year
□ Shadows of the Light
2. Best Actor
□ Brian Kambenja as Brother Handiya in Brother Handiya’s PHD
□ Daniel Mbewe as Jacob Mutuzo in Shadows & Light
□ Paul Selenge as Chief Manjabanthu in My Native Tongue is a Dru
3. Best Actress
□Nancy Sungwe Malubila as Rufaro in Mother of the Year
□ Chimanga Munalula as Mandara Handiya in Brother Handiya’s PHD
□ Nezia Nambuta as Cindy in Shadows Light
4. Best Director
□ Clive Gilbert Banda for directing Mother of the Year
□ Francis Malunga for directing Brother Handiya’s PHD
□ Dauti Leo Simukoko & Henry Joe Sakala for directing Shadows and Light
》 CREATIVE WRITING (ZAWWA)
5. Most Outstanding Male Creative Writer
□ Lt Col Francis Kunda for Too Hard to be True
□ Richard Sakala for Loyalty to the Girl or to the Gang
□ Savatir (Kasoka Sichone) for Ndiwe Mutima Wanga
6. Most Outstanding Female Creative Writer
□ Ritsha Bernard for By the Way
□ Mulamba Chibesakunda for Hello Mother Nature
□ Chibwe Mulenga for The Silence of Thorns
7. Most Outstanding Prose Creative
□ The Silence of Thorns by Chibwe Mulenga
□ Loyalty to the Girl or to the Gang by Richard Sakala
□ Nadine Mutima Wanga by Savitr – (Kasoka Sichone)
8. Most Outstanding Poetry
□ Things My Mother Forgot to Tell Me by Petronella D Denton
□ Crisis@30 by Savitir (Kasoka Sichone)
□ Zambian Celebrates 60 Years of Independence by Isaac Thewo
》 TRADITIONAL MUSIC & DANCE (ZAFODAMUS)
9. Best Male Dancer
□ Lewis Chishimba Mubanga for Tongosa Dance
□ Tyson Mweetwa for Vimbuza Dance
□ Kebby Ndaba for Kukwezya Dance
10. Best Female Dancer
□ Scholastica Mwale for Ingoma Dance
□ Beatrice Mulenga for Ifunkuntu Dance
□ Petronella Sitali for Ndendeule/Nsongwe Dance
11. Best Costume
□ Likumbi Lya Mize Dance Troupe
□ Tiyanjane Dance Troupe
□ Ukuhlangana Isibaya Dance Troupe
12. Best Dance Troupe
□ Kasama Arts Theatre
□ Tigwirizane Traditional Dance Troupe
□ Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble
》 FASHION (ZAFD)
13. Best Female Model
□ Faith Bwalya
□ Anna Musonda
□ Ta’shery Nkhoma
□ Namakau Nawa
□ Sheila Sings
14. Best Male Model
□ Mr. Mulwanda
□ Kalembeni Mwanza
□ Jacob Mwape
□ Tatenda Njanike
□ Nicholas the Model
》 CREATIVE WRITING (ZAWWA)
15. Most Outstanding Male Creative Writer
□ Lt Col Francis Kunda for Too Hard to be True
□ Richard Sakala for Loyalty to the Girl or to the Gang
□ Savatir (Kasoka Sichone) for Ndiwe Mutima Wanga
15. Most Outstanding Female Creative Writer
□ Ritsha Bernard for By the Way
□ Mulamba Chibesakunda for Hello Mother Nature
□ Chibwe Mulenga for The Silence of Thorns
16. Most Outstanding Prose Creative
□ The Silence of Thorns by Chibwe Mulenga
□ Loyalty to the Girl or to the Gang by Richard Sakala
□ Nadine Mutima Wanga by Savitr – (Kasoka Sichone)
17. Most Outstanding Poetry
□ Things My Mother Forgot to Tell Me by
Petronella D Denton
□ Crisis@30 by Savitir (Kasoka Sichone)
□ Zambian Celebrates 60 Years of Independence by Isaac Thewo
》 CONTEMPORARY MUSIC (ZAM)
18. Best Song of the Year
□ Aye by Nez Long
□ Eondongana by Chester
□ Ichibyongo by JC Kalinks
□ Follow by Triple M
□ Mr. and Mrs. by Yo Maps
□ Remember Me by Chile One
□ Sotambe by Frank Ro
□ Cheers to the Good Times by Vinchenzo
19. Best Male Musician
□ Chester
□ Chile One
□ Jae Cash
□ Triple M
□ Yo Maps
20. Best Female Musician
□ Cleo Ice Queen
□ Mampi
□ Towela Kaira
□ Xaven
》 COMEDY CATEGORY (COAZ)
21. Best Online/Social Media Comedian
□ Lucky Comedy
□ Theresa Lyainga
□ Mandunga
□ Ba Matero
□ Maza Comedy
22. Best Male Stand Up Comedian
□ Chingiliz
□ Ba Emma
□ King Paul
23. Best Female Stand Up Comedian
□ Ruby Wendy Mubanga
□ Nakulu Sekanayo
24. Best Skit Comedy Piece
□ Maza Comedy
□ Lottie Tondolo
□ Vikacha
》 CONTEMPORARY MUSIC (ZAM)
25. Best Collaboration
□ Chakwa Mzimai
□ Mapopwe
□ Peace of Mind
□ Teti
□ Aye
□ Cheers to the Good Times – Vinchenzo & Bobby East
26. Best Producer
□ C Mark
□ Kingtech
□ Melar Beats
□ Witty Beats
□ Rizzo
27. Best Male Regional Music Artist
□ Kell Kay – Malawi
□ Driemo – Malawi
□ JC Kalinks – Zambia
□ Triple M-Zambia
□ Winky D – Zimbabwe
□ Jay Trigga-Zambia
28. Best Female Regional Music Artist
□ Cleo Ice Queen – Zambia
□ Deborah Ngama – Congo DR
□ Theresa Phondo – Malawi
□ Nkosazana Daughter – South Africa
》 VISUAL ARTS CATEGORY (VAC)
29. Best Female Visual Artist
□ Mwamba Chikwemba
□ Mulenga Mulenga
30. Best Male Visual Artist
□ Boyd Bishonga
□ Harrington Kanyanta
□ Kulu Sikazwe
31. Best Two Dimension Artist
□ Boyd Bishonga
□ Harrington Kanyanta
□ Mulenga Mulenga
32. Best Three Dimension Artist
□ Bolwin Chakatala
□ Blanco Kaluba Chilaba
□ Chishimba Nyirenda
》 COMMUNITY THEATRE (ZAPOTA)
33. Best Community Theatre Project
□ Disability in Primary GBV Prevention
□ Kabwe Ka Mukuba
□ Sexual Abuse
34. Best Community Theatre Innovation
□ Afronaunts
□ Creativity My Employer
□ Eco Closet
35. Best Community Theatre Practitioner
□ Gift Chansa
□ Sera Namwawa
□ Daniel Ngoma
36. Most Consistent Community Theatre
□ Kanyama Theatre Production Unit
□ Tiyanjane Theatre
□ Tusole Theatre