LONDON: – The Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (ZAA) are set to be a night of laughs and cracked ribs as organisers have announced comedian Carl Joshua Ncube as this year’s headline act.
In keeping with global awards shows where popular comedians such as Ellen DeGeneres, Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock and Kevin Hart are engaged as hosts, the ZAA have also secured Ncube’s services as compere for the evening’s proceedings.
The awards gala dinner is scheduled for the 9th of May at the five-star Royal Garden Hotel in London’s well-heeled district of Kensington. ZAA Executive Director Brian Nyabunze said his team were proud to have managed to bring The Big Announcement star to the UK for his first ever appearance in the country.
“We are thrilled to have secured Carl Joshua Ncube for the ZAA’s fifth anniversary event. He is loved everywhere and we expect that he will charm and entertain guests,” said Nyabunze.
“There are few stars today that have Carl’s gift for comedy, with his great warmth and personality. For years Zimbabweans in the UK have followed his exciting career and will have contributed to the growing number of his Youtube video views. However, this will be the first time that the UK community will get to see the king of Zimbabwean comedy live in action.
“People have asked us what new offerings we would have this year after the well received 2014 event. I’m proud to say we’ve set yet another standard and introduced top drawer comedy to the exquisite entertainment with which our awards show is now synonymous,” Nyabunze added.
Carl, who is also scheduled to tour Europe in the summer, is excited to be making his maiden appearance in the UK.
“I’m very happy to be coming to the UK … legally! When the visa officers asked about the purpose of my trip, I told them I was trafficking laughter. Unfortunately the joke didn’t play so well – it took me a long while to convince them that I’ve had absolutely no dealings with Liverpool striker, Raheem Sterling!
“Seriously, though, this will be an awesome opportunity to be around so many amazing achievers and make them laugh at the same time.” 
Described by CNN African Voices as the “New face of Zimbabwean Comedy”, Carl literally broke into the Zimbabwean comedy scene with his debut one-man show, Carl Joshua Ncube’s Big Announcement, which set him up as the biggest Zimbabwean stand up comedy export.
In Zimbabwe Carl has done numerous one man shows and has performed at HIFA, Shoko, and Ibumba festivals around the country. Considered by his peers as an innovator who constantly pushes boundaries in multimedia in his performances, Carl is currently on a quest to take his version of Zimbabwe to the world.
To date he has performed in South Africa, Botswana, Nambia, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria ,USA (New York Gotham Comedy Club), and Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth).
Limited tickets to the event are available until the 3rd of May exclusively on zimachievers.com for £89.95. Organisers are continuing with the tried and tested world class ticketing system that was introduced last year and allows guests to choose their seats upon purchasing their tickets. 
“We’ve stuck to a system that proved reliable and efficient the last time round. However, seating choices are becoming increasingly limited by the day as more people buy up tickets. So I would advise those intending to book tables to do so now,” Nyabunze said.
The ZAA has come a long way since its inaugural event in 2011 at The Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars, London. Over the years, the glamorous red carpet event has entrenched its status as the standard bearer of recognising achievement in the UK Zimbabwean community.
