Nation Publications Limited (NPL) News Analyst Brian Itai and contributor Howard Mlozi have been nominated at this year’s Urban Music People (UMP) Awards.
The two have been nominated in the media category of Arts Journalist of the Year, alongside NPL’s nomination as Print Media House of the Year.
The annual UMP awards are one of the country’s leading platforms that recognise and celebrate achievements in music, arts, fashion and media in the creative industry.
In an interview yesterday, Itai said the nomination is an acknowledgment of the contributions journalists make in promoting the country’s arts and culture.
He said: “The nomination means various stakeholders that we work with are able to notice our little contribution that we are making as news conduits.
“I am deeply honoured for this and I would like to thank those who have considered me for the nomination.”
Itai said the line of work requires a good level of sanity and that developments such as these add to the confidence that one requires to get through. He said UMP has shown consistency when it comes to recognising art journalism.
“I believe it is a huge motivation at a time when different stakeholders are working tirelessly to develop the creative industry in Malawi. We need to raise the standards and we need to do that by ourselves and the UMP Awards are one key tool to achieving that”, he said.
On his part Mlozi, who has previously won similar awards in 2016 and 2017, said the nomination is an honour and speaks volumes of the role arts journalists play towards promoting the cultural and creative industry.
He emphasised the importance of arts journalism, noting that the media plays a critical role in documenting and celebrating cultural heritage.
“There is no proper appreciation and documentation of cultural heritage without arts journalism through which different cultural expressions are conveyed. Arts are simply part of who we are as a people and awards play a significant role in recognising talent and fuelling passion among creatives, including arts journalists,” said Mlozi.
NPL’s head of business and organisation development McDonald Kadewa said the nominations highlighted the contributions that the company is making not only in journalism, but also in promoting the creative industry by providing a platform for creatives to grow.
“The nomination reflects NPL’s contribution not just to journalism, but also to nurturing the creative industry. The creative industry is a field of employment and NPL provides a platform where artists can showcase their talent locally and internationally, while supporting the growth of the sector,” he said.
Commenting on the development Executive director of UMP media award, Ken Zizwa Limwana said the media has influence when it comes to the growth of the creative and cultural industries; hence, the recognition.
“While most of the time creatives get the spotlight, collaborating stakeholders don’t get the same spot. As UMP we see the influence by the mainstream and new media and believe that media should also be recognised for these contributions,” he said
He added that while this is not the first time for the awards to recognise media personalities and institutions, it is the first media has gotten its own spot comprising 20 categories.
The 2025 UMP Media Awards celebrate excellence across Malawi’s media and entertainment industry, recognising top DJs, journalists, podcasters, content creators, and media houses.
The voting process, according to UMP, will run from September 10 to 19 as the awards ceremony is scheduled for September 20.
