VIGA announces new innovations ahead of 2020

FILE PHOTO: Musician Levixone shares a light moment with chief guest Speaker of Parliament Rebecca A. Kadaga at the 2019 VIGA awarding ceremony in May at Kampala Serena Hotel in Kampala.

By Aaron Sseruyigo

Apart from recognizing the efforts of gospel musicians in Uganda and other African countries, the VIGA Music Awards committee has announced intentions of introducing new programs aimed at engaging, unifying and equipping the gospel industry.

In a statement sent to Uganda Christian News, the committee said the awards will in 2020 run under the theme ‘A new beginning’, in reference to their move into a new decade.

“God has given VIGA new innovations,” the statement continued.

Among the new programs they hope to have is the Artists Prayer Day.

Others are a Worship Gathering which will be a monthly evening of Praise & Worship, and then ‘Young Talents Advancing in God’ (Y-TAG), a monthly youth inspirational entertainment event.

The committee said these new inventions will feature mainly the VIGA Awards winners and nominees.

Moving on, the statement said artists in the ‘New artists category’ will be strictly from the VIGA Academy Talent search and other talent search activities the industry witnessed in 2019.

VIGA Music Awards 2020 season launched

The statement also served as a launch of the 2020 season which involves submitting nominations and public voting.

The awarding gala is scheduled for 16^th May, 2020 at the Kampala Serena Hotel, “featuring a surprise popular international artist among others.”

The VIGA 2020 season’ activities will run as follows;

Open registrations and Nominations – November 2019 – Febraury 2020 Nominees unveiling – March 2020
Nominees Boot camp – April 2020
Public voting – March- May 2020
VIGA 2020 Grand Finale – 16th May, 2020

“Nomination proposals are submitted by a panel comprising of media practitioners and music professionals & Executives. However, VIGA also gives room for any artists and/or their representatives to submit their works through the open registrations which are censored and incorporated,” the statement said. “We recognize the efforts of every gospel artist that contributed to the good music we witnessed in 2019.”