The director and founder of New Skool Awards (NSA), Abdul Salam Turay, has on Wednesday October 14, 2020 said the Company could lose Le 300 million if the yearly awards festival does not take place this year.
He added that the nominees would also miss the opportunity to be recognised for their hard work. He said that they had spent over US$30,000 in preparation for the award festival.
He said that the award festival was to be held on March 28, 2020, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, but as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus it has been postponed until further notice.
He said that fans were also disappointed after the festival was cancelled.
“The trophies which were intended to be awarded to the nominees were all made in the United Kingdom and sent via DHL. They are inscribed with the year 2020, which had been slated for the awards and not 2021,” he said.
According to Salam, the NSA Award 2020 has 50 categories and over 300 nominees. Some of the categories for which persons could be awarded are: best male and female artists, best hit song, best actor – male and female, the King and Queen of Sierra Leone music, lifetime achievement award, an award for humanitarian, and many more.
He said that the award was aimed at promoting Sierra Leone’s entertainment industry.
He said that the award company had hosted two award festivals in 2017 & 2018 since its creation.
“Our aim is to see that, we take Sierra Leone’s entertainment industry to another level, change the face of awards giving in the country. I am calling on the corporate community to support Sierra Leone’s entertainment,” he said.
He said, “We pray that the government would lift all the bans so that we could carry on with our events.”
By Ibrahim S.Bangura
21/10/2020. ISSUE NO: 7935