The nominees for the fourth edition of the Kenya Theatre Awards (KTA), for the theatre year 2024, were unveiled today in a highly-anticipated announcement. Suki Nyadawa, the chairlady of the 2024 KTA jury, provided insightful remarks about this year’s nominations and trends within the theatre industry.
A key highlight she mentioned was the drop of stand-up and solo performances, which resulted in the latter being grouped under the monologues category. The solution to this going forward, she proposed, was inviting the jury members to watch these performances.
The Best Breakthrough Actor and Actress categories were notably competitive this year, reflecting a surge of emerging talent in the industry. Additionally, the scriptwriting category brought out younger scriptwriters, pointing to a promising future for creative storytelling in Kenyan theatre.
Musicals stood out as a unique aspect of this year’s awards, with many produced by professional production houses rather than their traditional stronghold in schools. This shift indicates a growing professionalization of the musical theatre segment in Kenya. She also highlighted the underrepresentation of the female gender in the list of nominees.
Suki also acknowledged some challenges faced by the jury. There was the difficulty in accessing performances from regions outside Nairobi. To address this, she suggested recording remote performances to ensure fair consideration in the future.
Notably, however, this year’s nominees’ list had a commendably higher number of performances from outside Nairobi.
When discussing the Theatre Company of the Year category, Suki shared key metrics used for nomination. These included consistent year-round productions, theatre business viability, health of the organisation and adherence to best practice in theatre management.
This year’s awards have undergone some significant changes. The total number of categories has been reduced from 40 to 36, with some being shelved. Additionally, new categories, such as Best Young Actors, have been introduced, and there is now a clear separation between university and school performances.
Benson Ngobia, the executive director of KitFest Trust, commended the outstanding productions and praised the involvement of the Kenya Cultural Centre staff. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum in recognising and rewarding theatrical talent across the country.
The list of nominees highlights the diverse talent and creativity in Kenyan theatre. After the nominees unveiling, voting now goes online. Voting for the 2024 Kenya Theatre Awards will begin on Monday and continue for three weeks, through the official KTA Voting Platform, ensuring a streamlined and transparent process.
The Gala event will be held on February 20, 2025.
Below are the nominees for the different categories…
Photos courtesy of Kenya Theatre Awards
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