Zim Hip Hop Awards 2024 winners list and review: Big winners, surprises, and snubs

TAWANDA CHARI

HARARE – The Zimbabwe Hip Hop Awards (ZHHAs) celebrated its own 14th anniversary at the RoyalGate Gardens in Chisipite, Harare on 13 December 2024. Hip-hop’s popularity, especially this year, has been on an upward trajectory. It’s definitely at a point of being one of the best genres in the nation, although there is still more work to be done, evidently.

Voltz JT was the man of the night, emerging as the biggest winner of the night at the 2024 Zim Hip Hop Awards; winning in three categories and some of the most prestigious awards of the night– Best Album, Song of the Year and People’s Choice award. Young Gemini walked with Best Female Artist for the third consecutive time, cementing her status as a formidable rap artist.

The night celebrated emerging talent, with Runna Rulez clinching Best Newcomer.

The ceremony also paid homage to the genre’s history with the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to the Zimbabwean Urban Music Legend, Takefizzo.

There were live performances from Nico C, although he still insists on performing that one Maskiri song. Kayflow’s performance stole the night, delivering a lively set on stage that showed his acumen as a formidable rap superstar status. Paintafresco also brought his A-game to the stage, delivering a stellar performance.

Notable winners included Reap3r for Best Gospel Act, Plot Mhako for Best Journalist, Bars on Bars for Best Brand Supporting Hip Hop, Phanas for Best Producer, Donne Jovi for Best Underground Artist), The Fixx (Lady K & Pd The Ghost) for Best Radio DJ, Dough Major & Dingo Duke for Best Hip Hop Group, RayKaz for Best Verse Sweet 16, and Bagga & Taurai Zidya for Best Video Director.

Questions about the Best Male award

The Zim Hip Hop Awards' decision to award Voltz JT Song of the Year, Best Album, and People's Choice while overlooking him for Best Male Artist raises questions about consistency and fairness in their judging process. Winning the top categories like Best Album—a recognition of a solid body of work—and Song of the Year, which reflects cultural impact and popularity, suggests that Voltz JT had an undeniably dominant year.

Coupled with the People's Choice award, which directly reflects public opinion, it becomes difficult to justify how the artist who arguably defined the genre for the year would not also claim the title of Best Male Artist. This creates a disconnect between the accolades handed out and the overall artist's contribution to the culture.

The snub feels even more glaring when considering the momentum Voltz JT built in 2024. It leaves fans and critics alike questioning the criteria used and whether certain biases or inconsistencies might be influencing the outcomes.

"But we were not lazy!" - Of KBrizzy, Phanas, and the biggest snub

The exclusion of When We Not Being Lazy (WWNBL) by KBrizzy & Phanas from the Best Album nominations for the Zim Hip Hop Awards is one of the most egregious snubs in recent memory. This is an album that not only deserves recognition but could have arguably won the award outright. WWNBL stands as a masterclass in artistic brilliance —lyricism, track sequencing, story progression, and overall sonic cohesion make it one of the standout projects of 2024. It’s not just one of the year’s best albums; it is, without question, among the greatest to emerge from Zimbabwean hip-hop—period.

This snub further highlights the tendency to prioritize mainstream success over artistic merit, a trap that often plagues most award shows. Which is not a problem is that's the criteria and it is publicly announced. Best Album should not simply be about popularity but about the finer elements of music-making—songwriting, cadence, sonic soundscape, and the deliberate weaving of themes and narratives. WWNBL checks every box and more.