The awards have been key to putting Zimbabwean hip hop on the national and regional map.
[2] For nomination, an artist’s music has to be released on radio or public media platforms from the previous cycle of November which runs to October in that current year.
An artist must provide credible work and supporting articles as references to show actual release of material.
[4][5] The awards are presented every second week of December and the winners' list is released to the press.
The Zim Hip Hop Awards has had some controversies surrounding its presentation[29] and nomination criteria with several reporters and fans expressing concern when nominees are released.