2025
- Mugabi was awarded a Nafasi Artist Residency in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. As part of his residency, Mugabi performed at an Artist Hangout, facilitated a interdisciplinary epistolary art workshop with the theme of changes to communication with the advent of instant messaging apps, collaborated and creatively exchanged with artists,
- Mugabi was awarded the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Fellowship by Akademie Schloss Solitude which is based in Stuttgart, Germany. The Jean-Jacques Rousseau fellowship program, founded in 2011, was established in order to provide authors of both sexes with financial support in emergency situations of all kinds, be it political, economic or other difficulties. The program is being sponsored by a citizen of Stuttgart who wishes to promote contemporary literature with this unique fellowship and prefers not to be named. Mugabi received a financial award and fellowship to support his literary activities in improved conditions.
- Mugabi was selected as an event organizer, moderator, and panelist for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Annual Conference and Book Fair 2025 (AWP) in Los Angeles, California, USA (one of the largest and most prestigious writers conferences in the United States). His panel was: Making the Literary Ecosystem More Equitable for the Global South’s Writers.
- Mugabi was awarded the 2024 Keith Haring Fellowship at MacDowell by The Keith Haring Foundation. In honor of Keith Haring to support one activist artist at MacDowell annually. Mugabi was selected for this award in early 2025, from the 300 MacDowell Fellows in 2024. The Keith Haring Foundation is based in New York City, New York, U.S.A. MacDowell is based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A.
2024
- Mugabi was shortlisted as one of three finalists for the 26 Project Writers Award and received a highly commended award. 26 is based in The UK.
- Mugabi was the first ever Ugandan to be awarded a MacDowell Fellowship Residency. As part of his residency, Mugabi performed at MacDowell Downtown on their second day of residence. He concluded his residency with an Artist Talk at The Toadstool Bookstore and a MacDowell in the Schools presentation at ConVal High School. MacDowell is the oldest residency in the United States and one of the most prestigious worldwide, with an acceptance rate of 6% – 9% from over 2000 applicants. MacDowell is based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A.
- Mugabi’s poem “Barbershop Blues” was shortlisted as one of three to be read at 26 Wordstock @ Bloomsbury Festival, as part of the panel discussion for the 26 Neurodiversity Project in London, England.
- Mugabi was awarded as one of the five recipients of the The Sundress Academy for the Arts Fall 2024 Residency Fellowships, he was also awarded a support grant to facilitate this residency. Sundress Academy For The Arts is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
- Mugabi was awarded a PEN International Grant to support his literary work. PEN International is based in London, England.
- Mugabi was jointly awarded alongside Lilac Yosiphon and John Rwothomack an Unlimited British Council Micro Award. These awards, funded by British Council, aim to forge connections between disabled artists in The UK and disabled artists overseas through a collaborative project. Selected by Unlimited’s disabled-led panel, Lilac, John and Mugabi are among seven pairs/trios of disabled artists who received micro commissions of £3000 to explore and develop their creative practice.
- Mugabi’s debut chapbook “Songs For Wo(Men)” (the prequel to “Songs For Wo(Men) 2”) was published as the first in the Sheffield Chapbooks Series, an imprint of the award-winning Canadian publisher Gordon Hill Press. The chapbook sold out of it’s initial print run, and is currently in second printing.
- In support of his debut chapbook:, Mugabi has been profiled, interviewed and reviewed on blogs and podcasts. He has performed at over 20 shows internationally to audiences of over 100 people.
- Mugabi was selected as Panelist for The Association of Writers & Writing Programs Annual Conference and Book Fair 2024 (AWP) in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A. The two panels he served on were: “Pathways to Publishing for Indie Authors of Color” and “A Turn of the Page: From Journalism to Creative Writing”.
- Mugabi was selected as The Guest Author at The North Green School’s Yearly Book Week, in Kampala, Uganda.
2023
- Mugabi was awarded a Curating Fellowship, Mentorship and a Financial Award to support his artistic work, sponsored by Africa No Filter.
- Mugabi was selected as an auditor for the Poets and Scholars Summer Writing Retreat 2023 by Rutgers University Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice. Rutgers University is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
- In support of his debut award-nominated, label bestselling mixtape “Songs For Wo(Men) 2” : Mugabi has been profiled and interviewed on award-winning blogs, podcasts, newspapers, radio and TV; and performed at over 20 concerts internationally to audiences of over 150 people.
- Mugabi was nominated for 2 Ugandan Hip-Hop Awards; namely: “Western Rapper of The Year” for “Philomena’s Voicemail #2” and “Mixtape of The Year” for “Songs For Wo(Men) 2” his debut mixtape. The Ugandan Hip-Hop Awards are held in Kampala, Uganda.
- Mugabi received a fellowship to attend the Sundress Academy For The Arts 2nd Annual Writers Retreat. Sundress Academy For The Arts is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
- Mugabi was shortlisted as one of three finalists for the Inclusive Africa Icon Award 2023. Additionally, he was selected as a panelist for the Inclusive Africa Conference 2023. The Inclusive Africa Conference and Inclusive Africa Icon Award are both based in Nairobi, Kenya.
2022
- On the penultimate day of 2022, Mugabi released his award-nominated, label bestselling debut mixtape “Songs For Wo(Men) 2” via the independent American record label Hello America Stereo Cassette.
- Mugabi was shortlisted as one of three finalists for the 26 Emerging Writers Award and received a highly commended award. 26 is based in The UK.
- Mugabi was awarded a grant to support his artistic work, sponsored by a project of Goethe-Institut Kigali, Goethe-Institut Lagos and Goethe-Institut Johannesburg.
2020
- Mugabi’s debut novel-memoir “Dear Philomena,” was nominated for the 2020 Nommo Awards For Speculative Fiction By Africans. The home of the Nommo Awards is The African Speculative Fiction Society.
- Mugabi’s poem “If I Die Bury Me Next To My Father” was selected by Marilyn Dumont to be anthologized in “Best Canadian Poetry 2020” published by Biblioasis, a Canadian publisher.
2019
- Mugabi was named as one of three finalists for Realwheels Playwright-In-Residence and the recipient of an inaugural Realwheels Encouragement Award. Realwheels is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Mugabi was selected as one of ten emerging theater artists in b current Performing Arts Emerging Artists Ensemble 2019/2020. b current Performing Arts and the Emerging Artists Ensemble are based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
2018
- “Dear Philomena,” was named a Ugandan bestseller.
- Mugabi was awarded as one of 56 writers who has contributed to his native Uganda’s literary heritage in the 56 years since independence by Writivism; a preeminent Ugandan literary organization and literary festival.
2017
- Mugabi’s award-nominated, Ugandan bestselling debut novel-memoir, “Dear Philomena,” was published via the independent Canadian publisher Discovering Diversity Publishing. The novel-memoir sold out of it’s initial print run, and is currently in it’s ninth printing.
- In support of his debut award-nominated, Ugandan novel-memoir, “Dear Philomena,”: Mugabi has been profiled and interviewed on blogs, podcasts, newspapers, radio and TV; and performed at over 20 concerts internationally to audiences of over 150 people. Mugabi went on a 3 year, 90 show, 45 city, 5 country North America/East Africa tour in support of “Dear Philomena,”.
2015
- Mugabi was longlisted for the Babishai Niwe Poetry Award.