Some of the winners
The Entertainment Makers Joy Awards 2022 ceremony, hosted by the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday evening, sparked controversy and division on social media.
The ceremony was held within the activities of the Riyadh Season, sponsored by Chancellor Turki Al-Sheikh, in the presence of a large number of stars from the world and the Arab world, who were honored with the “Best” awards for this year.
“wow party”
In parallel with the ceremony, tweeters launched the hashtag #JoyAwards to talk regarding it and discuss many of the details that took place during that night.
Many expressed their feelings of pride and happiness at seeing many international and Arab names on the territory of the Kingdom, and their amazement at the organizers’ attention to all the details.
Others described the event as fun and “unusual”.
Activists published pictures of them with a number of stars participating in the ceremony, describing what happened as “a day of history in the Saudi entertainment sector.”
“random party”
On the other hand, many criticized the ceremony and its organizers. Some criticized “relying solely on public voting” to decide the awards.
Others wondered regarding the purpose and direction of the ceremony, is it artistic? Or an athlete? Or theatrical?
In the same context, Mughreed said that despite the organization, attendance and dazzling atmosphere, the method of distributing the awards did not adopt transparency.
And regarding the absence of a number of Arab artists, some of the singers asked where Nawal Al Zoghbi, Elissa, Ahlam and others are..
In response to these questions, the Emirati artist, Ahlam, said: “I was one of the first to be invited, but I apologized because of my party. Unfortunately, my party was postponed due to rain on the same day as the party.”
social and cultural transformation
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a major shift in the cultural, artistic and social scene.
This has sparked debate between supporters of old school conservatism and neo-reformists, who want a more open and modern Saudi Arabia than before.
There is a fierce debate within Saudi Arabia regarding whether Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the owner of Saudi Vision 2030, will be able to achieve his goals.
