The Yumi FM PNG Musik Awards is being held at the Lamana Gold Club.
This year marks 13 years of the event, in its efforts to recognize local and regional music artists.
If you’re a PNG music fan and a Port Moresby resident, Lamana Gold club is the place to be at tonight.
Present for the event are the likes of B-Rad, Wame Blood, Avisat and Jaro Local, Tarvin Toune and many more.
Since its inception in 2005, the Music Awards has played a key role in amplifying works by artists, locally and across the region.
One of the founders of the event and Radio personality , Turner Arifeae , most popularly known on air as Kasty, said the lack of government support and no proper music industry in the country were key factors that prompted the introduction of the music awards.
Though an annual event, organisers are faced with many challenges.
The most prevalent one being the struggle to bring in female participation.
Kasty noted the lack of confidence as often the reason that hold backs female vocalists and performers from gaining entry to the awards.
He said, there must be support to encourage up and coming artists to develop in the industry.
Kasty is now urging artists to affiliate with Australia Performing rights Association or APRA, so there work can be recognized.
YUMI FM, NAU FM and Legend FM are currently the only three stations in the country that are registered under APRA, so artists receive incentives every time their songs are played.
He also strongly discourages the sharing of music via mobile phone applications such as Bluetooth and Whatsapp.
Kasty believes it is about time musicians get what their work’s worth.
