Radio Kantipur announced the fifth edition of the National Music Award at a press conference on Monday. The event will take place on July 6, marking the radio station’s 24th anniversary.

The ceremony will honour musicians working across diverse genres who have made important contributions to the Nepali music industry. A total of 75 artists have been nominated for the awards in 15 different categories, including Best New Singer, Best National Song, Best Music Group, and Best Music Director, among others.

A musician who has been serving in the field of music for a long time will be honoured with the Life Time Achievement Award, which comes with a purse of Rs100,000 and a trophy. Another major award that will be given out on the occasion is the People’s Choice Award. Audience responses and YouTube views will be calculated to pick the top five winners in the category.

The choice for nomination has been handed over to a jury whose members haven’t been disclosed yet. The nominees are selected by assessing all songs and musicians featured on Radio Kantipur from August 2021 to August 2022.

Organisers said they aim to bring together older and newer musicians at the show. Radio Kantipur announced the names of more than 15 performers, including Swoopna Suman, Shiva Pariyar, and Pradip Rodan. Singer Salman Ali, who won the title of Indian Idol 2018, will grace the stage for a special performance. The show will also feature some stand-up comedy performances.

Speaking at the press meet, Shishir Pachhai, chief executive officer of Kantipur TV HD, explained the responsibility that media houses have towards people in different fields. “Radio is not just about music but also about social responsibility,” he said. “We are presenting the award to thank people who have contributed immensely to the music industry and Kantipur and also to provide a platform for their talent.”

He also revealed that the artists get Rs15 as royalty every time their songs are played on Radio Kantipur. Pachhai also emphasised the importance of radio as a platform for musicians and music lovers. “Even though new platforms like YouTube are popular right now, if we look at the history and the current context of Nepal, radio is the means that reaches a big chunk of the population,” he said.

To get airtime at Radio Kantipur, a song has to be registered at the station’s office and go through a quality check. Currently, the Radio Kantipur library has over 700,000 registered musical pieces.

The date of the event has been updated.