Tanzania has officially launched the Tanzania Creators Awards, a new national initiative aimed at recognising the social impact, value and contribution of social media content creators
The awards, launched by branding and marketing firm Best Brand Africa, are designed to assess creators based on the educational, informational and entertainment value of their content, rather than popularity or follower numbers.
“Our main focus is to measure impact and value, the contribution creators make to society through what they produce,” said Zakayo Shusho, chairperson of Best Brand Africa, at the launch event.
Organisers said Tanzanians will vote for shortlisted nominees, with winners selected based on the highest number of votes in each category. A public nomination window has also been opened.
The awards cover more than 15 categories, including comedy and skits, music and dance, education, lifestyle and fashion, food and cooking, tourism and travel culture, sports and fitness, health and medicine, entrepreneurship and business, visual creation, news reporting and podcasts, events, beauty and cosmetics, film and series, branding and influencing.
“We are not rewarding creators because they have many followers or are popular, but because of the positive and meaningful impact they leave in society,” Shusho said.
The nomination phase will run from January 17 to 23, followed by judging from January 24 to 26 and the announcement of nominees from January 27 to 30. Public voting will then take place over 10 days, ahead of the awards ceremony at Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam.
Organisers said the awards aim to raise the professional standing of content creators and improve collaboration between creators, businesses and institutions.
The Tanzania Film Board and the National Arts Council (BASATA) have been identified as key partners in the vetting and regulation process, organisers said.
Emmanuel Ndumukwa of the Tanzania Film Board said the awards would encourage creativity, competition and higher standards in the industry.
“Winners will increase their visibility nationally and internationally, while we continue to encourage formal registration of content creators through established systems,” he said, referring to the board’s AMIS registration platform.
BASATA senior arts officer Abel Ndaga said the council supports the initiative but urged creators to adhere to national cultural and ethical standards.
“There have been challenges regarding content ethics, yet these values are fundamental to building a morally grounded society,” Ndaga said.
Digital infrastructure company Sarufi will manage the awards’ voting system through an integrated chatbot platform linking Instagram and WhatsApp, organisers said.
The awards are expected to become an annual event, subject to continued support from regulators, industry stakeholders and the creative community.