MZA BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund Inc

PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF BOARD NOMINEES

The purpose of Proposal 1 is to elect Board Members for each Fund.

Nominees for each Fund. The Board of each Fund consists of ten Board Members, eight of whom are not “interested persons” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) (the “Independent Board Members”). Shareholders of each Fund will consider electing ten Board Nominees at the meeting. The Board Members for each Fund elected at the meeting will serve until the later of the date of such Fund’s 2021 annual meeting or until his or her successor is elected and qualifies, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal.

With respect to the Preferred Funds, the owners of Preferred Shares are entitled to vote as a separate class to elect two of the Board Members (the “Preferred Shares Nominees”) for the Preferred Fund in which they own Preferred Shares. This means that owners of Common Shares are not entitled to vote in connection with the election of the Preferred Shares Nominees. However, the owners of Common Shares and the owners of Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class, are entitled to elect the remainder of the Board Nominees. Frank J. Fabozzi and W. Carl Kester are standing for election this year as Preferred Shares Nominees.

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the election of Michael J. Castellano, Richard E. Cavanagh, Cynthia L. Egan, Robert Fairbairn, R. Glenn Hubbard, Catherine A. Lynch, John M. Perlowski, Karen P. Robards, Frank J. Fabozzi and W. Carl Kester (the “Board Nominees”). To vote for the Board Nominees, please vote by telephone or via the Internet, as described in the proxy card, or date and sign the enclosed proxy card and return it promptly in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. Each of the Board Nominees has consented to being named in this Proxy Statement and to serve as a Board Member if elected.

Board Members’/Nominees’ Biographical Information. Please refer to the below table which identifies the Board Nominees and any Preferred Shares Nominees for election to the Board of each Fund and sets forth certain biographical information about the Board Nominees for all of the Funds. Each Board Nominee was reviewed by the Governance and Nominating Committee (the “Governance Committee”) of the Board of each respective Fund and nominated by the full Board. Richard E. Cavanagh and Karen P. Robards were selected to serve as the Co-Chairs of each Board. All of the closed-end investment companies registered under the 1940 Act advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Advisor”), including the Funds, are referred to collectively as the “BlackRock Closed-End Funds.” The BlackRock Closed-End Funds are part of a complex of investment companies advised by the Advisor or its affiliates that also includes open-end non-index fixed-income funds (the “BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex”).

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The Independent Board Members have adopted a statement of policy that describes the experiences, qualifications, skills and attributes that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Board Member candidates (the “Statement of Policy”). The Boards believe that each Independent Board Member satisfied, at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed as a Board Member, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy as well as the standards set forth in each Fund’s By-laws. Furthermore, in determining that a particular Board Member was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Board Member, the Boards have considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Boards believe that, collectively, the Board Members/Nominees have balanced and diverse experiences, skills, attributes and qualifications, which allow the Boards to operate effectively in governing the Funds and protecting the interests of shareholders. Among the attributes common to all Board Members/Nominees is their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Funds’ investment adviser, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties as Board Members. Each Board Member’s/Nominee’s ability to perform his or her duties effectively is evidenced by his or her educational background or professional training; business, consulting, public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member of the Funds or the other funds in the BlackRock fund complexes (and any predecessor funds), other investment funds, public companies, or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; ongoing commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and other committees throughout the years; or other relevant life experiences.

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The table below discusses some of the experiences, qualifications and skills of the Board Members, including the Board Nominees, that support the conclusion that they should serve (or continue to serve) on the Boards.

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Board Leadership Structure and Oversight

The Boards consist of ten Board Members, eight of whom are Independent Board Members. The registered investment companies advised by the Advisor are composed of the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex, the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex and one complex of exchange-traded funds. The Funds are included in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex. The Board Members also oversee the operations of the other open-end and closed-end registered investment companies included in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex as directors or trustees.

The Boards have overall responsibility for the oversight of the Funds. The Co-Chairs of the Boards and the Chief Executive Officer are different people. Not only is each Co-Chair an Independent Board Member, but also the Chair of each Board committee (each, a “Committee”) is an Independent Board Member. The Boards have five standing Committees: an Audit Committee, a Governance Committee, a Compliance Committee, a Performance Oversight Committee and an Executive Committee. The Boards have also established an ad hoc Discount Sub-Committee.

The Boards currently oversee the Funds’ usage of leverage, including the Funds’ incurrence, refinancing and maintenance of leverage and, to the extent necessary or appropriate, authorize or approve the execution of documentation in respect thereto. The Executive Committee of each Fund has authority to make any such authorizations or approvals that are required between regular meetings of the Boards.

The Funds do not have a compensation committee because their executive officers, other than the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), do not receive any direct compensation from the Funds and the CCO’s compensation is comprehensively reviewed by the Boards. The role of each Co-Chair of the Boards is to preside over all meetings of the Boards and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board Members between meetings. The Chair of each Committee performs a similar role with respect to such Committee. The Co-Chairs of the Boards or Chair of a Committee may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Boards or the Committees from time to time. The Independent Board Members meet regularly outside the presence of the Funds’ management, in executive sessions or with other service providers to the Funds. The Boards have regular meetings five times a year, including a meeting to consider the approval of the Funds’ investment management agreements and, if necessary, may hold special meetings before their next regular meeting. Each Committee meets regularly to conduct the oversight functions delegated to that Committee by the Boards and reports its findings to the Boards. The Boards and each standing Committee conduct annual assessments of their oversight function and structure. The Boards have determined that the Boards’ leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Boards to exercise independent judgment over management and to allocate areas of responsibility among Committees and the Boards to enhance oversight.

The Boards decided to separate the roles of Chief Executive Officer from the Co-Chairs because they believe that having independent Co-Chairs:

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The Boards have engaged the Advisor to manage the Funds on a day-to-day basis. Each Board is responsible for overseeing the Advisor, other service providers, the operations of each Fund and associated risks in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, state law, other applicable laws, each Fund’s charter, and each Fund’s investment objective(s) and strategies. The Boards review, on an ongoing basis, the Funds’ performance, operations, and investment strategies and techniques. The Boards also conduct reviews of the Advisor and its role in running the operations of the Funds.

Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Funds is the responsibility of the Advisor or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), subject to the supervision of the Advisor. The Funds are subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational and valuation risks, among others. While there are a number of risk management functions performed by the Advisor or other service providers, as applicable, it is not possible to eliminate all of the risks applicable to the Funds. Risk oversight is part of the Boards’ general oversight of the Funds and is addressed as part of various Board and Committee activities. The Boards, directly or through Committees, also review reports from, among others, management, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds, the Advisor, and internal auditors for the Advisor or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Funds and management’s or the service providers’ risk functions. The Committee system facilitates the timely and efficient consideration of matters by the Board Members and facilitates effective oversight of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and of the Funds’ activities and associated risks. The Boards have approved the appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer, who oversees the implementation and testing of the Funds’ compliance program and reports regularly to the Boards regarding compliance matters for the Funds and their service providers. The Independent Board Members have engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight responsibilities.

Compensation. Information relating to compensation paid to the Board Members for each Fund’s most recent fiscal year is set forth in Appendix B.

Equity Securities Owned by Board Members/Nominees. Information relating to the amount of equity securities owned by Board Members/Nominees in the Funds that they oversee as of April 30, 2020 is set forth in Appendix C.

Attendance of Board Members at Annual Shareholders’ Meetings. It is the policy of all the Funds to encourage Board Members to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting. All but one of the Board Members of each Fund in office at the time attended last year’s annual shareholders’ meeting.

Board Meetings. During the calendar year 2019, the Board of each Fund met eight times. Information relating to the number of times that the Boards met during each Fund’s most recent full fiscal year is set forth in Appendix D. No incumbent Board Member attended less than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of each Board and of each Committee on which the Board Member served during each Fund’s most recently completed full fiscal year.

Committees of the Boards. Information relating to the various standing Committees of the Boards, as well as an ad hoc Sub-Committee, is set forth in Appendix E.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance. Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules thereunder requires the Funds’ Board Members, executive officers, persons who own, either directly or indirectly, more than ten percent of a registered class of a Fund’s equity securities, the Advisor and certain officers of the Advisor

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(the “Section 16 insiders”), including in some cases former Section 16 insiders for a period of up to 6 months, to file reports on holdings of, and transactions in, Fund shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Based solely on a review of copies of such reports furnished to the relevant Funds during the relevant Funds’ most recent fiscal year and representations from these Section 16 insiders, or former Section 16 insiders, as applicable, with respect to the relevant Funds’ most recent fiscal year, each Fund believes that its Section 16 insiders met all such applicable SEC filing requirements for the Fund’s most recently concluded fiscal year.

Executive Officers of the Funds. Information about the executive officers of each Fund, including their year of birth and their principal occupations during the past five years, is set forth in Appendix F.

Your Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the election of each Board Nominee to the Board of your Fund(s).

VOTE REQUIRED AND MANNER OF VOTING PROXIES

A quorum of shareholders is required to take action at the meeting. For BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund (MFL), BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund (MFT), BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund (MPA) and BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund (MYF), the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter at a shareholder meeting, either present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting business on such matter. For BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust (MHE), the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter at a shareholder meeting present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting business on such matter except when the holders of Preferred Shares voting as a separate class are entitled to elect any Board Member, in which case the holders of one-third of the Preferred Shares entitled to vote at a meeting shall constitute a quorum for purposes of such an election. For the remainder of the Funds, the holders of one-third of the shares entitled to vote on any matter at a shareholder meeting present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting business on such matter.

Except for the Funds listed in the next sentence, the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast with respect to a Board Nominee at a meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary to elect each of the respective Board Nominees under Proposal 1 for each respective Fund. For MFL, MFT, MHE, MPA and MYF, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented at a meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary to elect each of the respective Board Nominees under Proposal 1 for each respective Fund. For the Funds that require the affirmative vote of a plurality of votes to elect each of the Board Nominees, withheld votes and broker non-votes, if any, will not have an effect on the outcome of Proposal 1. A “plurality” vote means that the Board Nominees who receive the largest number of votes cast (even if they receive less than a majority) will be elected as Board Members. Since the Board Nominees are running unopposed, each Board Nominee only needs one vote to be elected if there is a quorum present at the meeting. For the Funds that require the affirmative vote of a majority of votes present to elect each of the Board Nominees, withheld votes and broker non-votes, if any, will be counted as represented at the meeting and will have the same effect as a vote against Proposal 1.

Votes cast by proxy or in person at each meeting will be tabulated by the inspectors of election appointed for that meeting. The inspectors of election will determine whether or not a quorum is present at the meeting. The inspectors of election will treat withheld votes and “broker non-votes,” if any, as present for purposes of determining a quorum. Broker non-votes occur when shares are held by brokers or nominees, typically in “street name,” for which proxies have been returned but

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(a) voting instructions have not been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote, (b) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power or elects not to exercise discretion on a particular matter and (c) the shares are present at the meeting. Preferred Shares of any Fund held in “street name” may be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum of shareholders of that Fund if no instructions are received one business day before the applicable meeting or, if adjourned, postponed, or delayed, one business day before the day to which the meeting is adjourned, postponed, or delayed.

If you hold your shares directly (not through a broker-dealer, bank or other financial institution) and if you return a signed and dated proxy card that does not specify how you wish to vote on a proposal, your shares will be voted “FOR” the Board Nominees in Proposal 1.

Broker-dealer firms holding shares of a Fund in “street name” for the benefit of their customers and clients will request the instructions of such customers and clients on how to vote their shares on Proposal 1 before the meeting. The Funds understand that, under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, such broker-dealer firms may for certain “routine” matters, without instructions from their customers and clients, grant discretionary authority to the proxies designated by the Board to vote if no instructions have been received prior to the date specified in the broker-dealer firm’s request for voting instructions. Proposal 1 is a “routine” matter and beneficial owners who do not provide proxy instructions or who do not return a proxy card may have their shares voted by broker-dealer firms in favor of Proposal 1. A properly executed proxy card or other authorization by a beneficial owner of Fund shares that does not specify how the beneficial owner’s shares should be voted on Proposal 1 may be deemed an instruction to vote such shares in favor of Proposal 1.

If you hold shares of a Fund through a bank, broker, other financial institution or intermediary (called a service agent), the service agent may be the record holder of your shares. At the meeting, a service agent will vote shares for which it receives instructions from its customers in accordance with those instructions. A properly executed proxy card or other authorization by a shareholder that does not specify how the shareholder’s shares should be voted on a proposal may be deemed to authorize a service provider to vote such shares in favor of the proposal. Depending on its policies, applicable law or contractual or other restrictions, a service agent may be permitted to vote shares with respect to which it has not received specific voting instructions from its customers. In those cases, the service agent may, but is not required to, vote such shares in the same proportion as those shares for which the service agent has received voting instructions. This practice is commonly referred to as “echo voting.”

If you beneficially own shares that are held in “street name” through a broker-dealer or that are held of record by a service agent, and if you do not give specific voting instructions for your shares, they may not be voted at all or, as described above, they may be voted in a manner that you may not intend. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to give your broker-dealer or service agent specific instructions as to how you want your shares to be voted.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board Members, including a majority of the Independent Board Members, of each Fund have selected Deloitte & Touche LLP (“D&T”) as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds.

A representative of D&T is expected to be present at the meeting. The representative of D&T will have the opportunity to make a statement at the meeting if he or she desires to do so and is expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

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Each Fund’s Audit Committee has discussed with D&T the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and the SEC.

Each Fund’s Audit Committee has received from D&T the written disclosures and the letter required by PCAOB Ethics and Independence Rule 3526, Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence, has discussed D&T’s independence with D&T, and has considered the compatibility of non-audit services with the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm.

Each Fund’s Audit Committee also reviews and discusses the Fund’s financial statements with Fund management and the independent registered public accounting firm. If any material concerns arise during the course of the audit and the preparation of the audited financial statements mailed to shareholders and included in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders, the Audit Committee would be notified by Fund management or the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committees received no such notifications for any Fund during its most recently completed fiscal year. Following each Fund’s Audit Committee’s review and discussion with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, pursuant to authority delegated by its respective Board, each Fund’s Audit Committee approved the respective Fund’s audited financial statements for the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year (each Fund’s fiscal year end is set forth in Appendix G) for inclusion in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders.

Appendix G sets forth for each Fund the fees billed by that Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm for the two most recent fiscal years for all audit, non-audit, tax and all other services provided directly to the Fund. The fee information in Appendix G is presented under the following captions:

(a)    Audit Fees—fees related to the audit and review of the financial statements included in annual reports and registration statements, and other services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements, including out-of-pocket expenses.

(b)    Audit-Related Fees—fees related to assurance and related services that are reasonably associated with the performance of the audit or review of financial statements, but not reported under “Audit Fees,” including accounting consultations, agreed-upon procedure reports, attestation reports, comfort letters and internal control reviews not required by regulators.

(c)    Tax Fees—fees associated with tax compliance and/or tax preparation, as applicable. Tax compliance and preparation include services such as the filing or amendment of federal, state or local income tax returns, and services relating to regulated investment company qualification reviews, taxable income and tax distribution calculations. All of the fees included under “Tax Fees” in Appendix G relate solely to services provided for tax compliance and/or tax preparation, and none of such fees relate to tax advice, tax planning or tax consulting.

(d)    All Other Fees—fees for products and services provided to the Fund other than those reported under “Audit Fees,” “Audit-Related Fees” and “Tax Fees.”

(e)    Aggregate Non-Audit Fees for Services Provided to Each Fund and its Affiliated Service Providers Pre-Approved by the Audit Committee—the sum of the fees shown under “Audit-Related Fees,” “Tax Fees,” and “All Other Fees” and fees paid by each Fund’s Affiliated Service Providers to the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.

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Each Fund’s Audit Committee is required to approve all audit engagement fees and terms for the Fund. Each Fund’s Audit Committee also is required to consider and approve (i) the provision by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm of any non-audit services to the Fund, and (ii) the provision by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm of non-audit services to BlackRock and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with BlackRock that provides ongoing services to the Fund (“Affiliated Service Providers”) to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. See Appendix G to this Proxy Statement for information about the fees paid by the Funds, their investment advisers, and Affiliated Service Providers to each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.

The Audit Committee of each Fund complies with applicable laws and regulations with regard to the pre-approval of services. Audit, audit-related and tax compliance services provided to a Fund on an annual basis require specific pre-approval by the Fund’s Audit Committee. As noted above, each Fund’s Audit Committee must also approve other non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Fund and to the Fund’s Affiliated Service Providers that relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Fund. Each Fund’s Audit Committee has implemented policies and procedures by which such services may be approved other than by the full Audit Committee. Subject to such policies and procedures, including applicable dollar limitations, each Fund’s Audit Committee may pre-approve, without consideration on a specific case-by-case basis (“general pre-approval”), certain permissible non-audit services that the Audit Committee believes are (a) consistent with the SEC’s auditor independence rules and (b) routine and recurring services that will not impair the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm. Each service approved subject to general pre-approval is presented to each Fund’s Audit Committee for ratification at the next regularly scheduled in-person Board meeting.

For each Fund’s two most recently completed fiscal years, there were no services rendered by D&T to the Funds for which the general pre-approval requirement was waived.

Fees for non-audit services provided to each Fund’s Affiliated Service Providers for which pre-approval by such Fund’s Audit Committee was required for the calendar years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were $2,050,500 and $2,224,000, respectively. These fees were paid in their entirety by BlackRock in connection with services provided to the Affiliated Service Providers of each Fund and of other BlackRock open-end and closed-end funds primarily for a service organization controls review and secondarily, a subscription to the Deloitte Accounting Research Tool.

Each Fund’s Audit Committee has considered the provision of non-audit services that were rendered by D&T to the Fund’s Affiliated Service Providers that were not pre-approved (and did not require pre-approval) in connection with determining such auditor’s independence. All services provided by D&T to each Fund and each Fund’s Affiliated Service Providers that required pre-approval were pre-approved during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year.

The Audit Committee of each Fund consists of the following Board Members:

Michael J. Castellano (Chair);

Frank J. Fabozzi;

Catherine A. Lynch; and

Karen P. Robards.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5% Beneficial Share Ownership

As of April 30, 2020, to the best of the Funds’ knowledge, the persons listed in Appendix H beneficially owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the class of the Fund(s) indicated.

Investment Advisor and Administrator

The Advisor provides investment advisory and administrative services to the Funds. The Advisor is responsible for the management of the Funds’ portfolios and provides the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment and certain other services necessary to the operation of the Funds. The Advisor, located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock.

Distributor

BlackRock Investments, LLC serves as the placement agent for the common shares of certain other BlackRock Closed-End Funds not listed on Appendix A through various specified transactions, including at-the-market offerings pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to various conditions. BlackRock Investments, LLC is located at 55 East 52^nd Street, New York, NY 10055.