Music award shows play a key role in shaping the direction of popular music, by reflecting current trends and predicting future movements within a music scene. In Tanzania, the rise of music awards in the early 2000s paralleled the growth of rap, R&B, and the locally created genre bongo flava. This chapter explores how award shows contributed to the popularity of these genres, providing artists a means to both celebrate their musical achievement and attain a sense of legitimacy. Award shows also became spaces to contest political and social norms in the country. During the early 2000s, for instance, artists in these genres used their music to counter state censorship and to openly critique politicians and government policies. Conversely, the government attempted to influence artistic expression through state-sponsored music awards shows that often promoted winners who aligned with specific values viewed as more favorable to state ideologies. Thus, music awards in Tanzania became a platform that not only celebrated artistic achievement but also actively attempted to influence the relationship between artists and political authority.