Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) president Brian Bwembya, popularly known as B Flow, has raised an important concern within the Zambian music industry. In a Facebook post shared on Wednesday, the artist and advocate revealed that some winners of the 2024 Kwacha Music Awards have not received their prize money and the reason is surprising yet avoidable.
According to the statement, the affected artists do not have active bank accounts, which has hindered the disbursement process of their cash prizes. B Flow emphasized that while the awards were meant to celebrate and reward artistic excellence, lack of proper financial structures among some artists has created unnecessary obstacles.
“It has come to our notice that some of our members do not have active bank accounts, which has hindered their ability to receive prize money after winning awards at the 2024 Kwacha Music Awards,” the ZAM president revealed.
B Flow went on to encourage artists to treat their music careers as businesses, highlighting the importance of financial literacy, responsible administration, and formalization.
He further disclosed that the ZAM executive is in the process of organizing capacity-building workshops targeted at both emerging and established artists to address such gaps and build professionalism within the sector.
“Your music career is your business. Managing it properly unlocks opportunities and ensures long-term financial stability,” B Flow stated.
He concluded the memo with a strong call to action, urging all affected artists to open or reactivate their bank accounts so that payments can be processed in accordance with company policy.
This incident not only highlights the need for better structures in the Zambian music industry but also serves as a wake-up call for creatives to take charge of the business side of their careers.