South African Music Awards
The South African Music Awards (SAMAs) are an annual award ceremony, run by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), where accolades are presented to members of South Africa's music industry. Winners receive a statuette is called a SAMA. The event was established in 1995. The ceremony is held in May or April every year and contenders are judged on performances made in the previous year. The show is held at the Super Bowl in Sun City and broadcast on SABC1. The ceremony features live performances by some of the nominees. The SAMAs are the South African equivalent of the American Grammy Awards.
[edit] Awards
SAMAs grouped into a number of categories (List of South African Music Award categories) which are representative of South Africa's varying popular musical genres. The majority of these are awarded to artists chosen by a panel of judges.
[edit] SAMAs that are not decided by a panel of judges
The winners of the following SAMAs are not chosen by a panel of judges:
- Best-selling Album: Judged purely on sales, i.e. the South African album with the highest number of sales
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Chosen by the executive committee of RiSA
- Record of the Year: Determined by a public vote, by SMS
[edit] Top 5
The Top 5 are considered to be the most prestigious of the SAMAs.
- Album of the year
- Best Newcomer
- Best Female Artist
- Best Male Artist
- Best Duo or Group
[edit] Other Awards
Several other awards are also given out, approximately 50 in total, with many changing from year to year to accommodate changes in music styles and changes in popularity of already existing genres. They include awards for specific genres of music, such as Mbaqanga, Rock, and Kwaito; as well as for performances in specific languages such as Afrikaans or Tsonga; and for other things such as production and music videos. At times genres are grouped together into a single category based on their popularity amongst a certain demographic (e.g. Best Urban Artist nominees are often Hip Hop, African pop and Kwaito artists grouped together since these genres are popular amongst South Africans living in urban areas).
[edit] Judging process
Most categories are judged by panels of unpaid, independent judges drawn from the broadcast and print media, as well as freelance writers and critics, performing musicians, and from academia. Entries are submitted by record companies belonging to RISA but the body of judges, which numbers a couple of hundred people, is chosen specifically for its lack of formal involvement with the record industry. Unlike some "academies", the body of SAMA judges is constantly evolving to introduce new expertise and opinion.
[edit] 5th South African Music Awards (1999)
The 5th Annual SAMAs were held on 18 May 1999[1] with the following key awards issued:
- Best Female Artist - Brenda Fassie for Memeza
- Best Male Artist - Ringo for Mamelani
- Best Duo/Group - TKZee for Halloween
- Best Newcomer (artist or group) - Tasché for Tasché
- Song of the Year - Brenda Fassie for Vul'indlela
[edit] 10th South African Music Awards (2004)
The award ceremony took place on the 29th of May 2004 at the Sun City Super Bowl. Special, "of the decade" categories were introduced once off to mark the tenth anniversary of the SAMAs. The winners were: SAMA 2004 winners in major categories:
- Song of the Decade - Brenda Fassie "Vulindlela" (Voted by the public)
- Best-selling Release of the Decade - Brenda Fassie "Memeza" (based purely on sales)
- Best Female Artist - Swazi Dlamini ("My First Love")
- Best Male Artist - Zim Ngqawana ("Vadzimu")
- Best Duo or Group - Mafikizolo ("Kwela")
- Best Newcomer - Adilah ("S'esfikile")
- Artist of the Year - Mzekezeke
- Record of the Year - Mzekezeke for ""Akekh' uGogo"
- Lifetime Achievement Winners: Chicco, Big Voice Lerole, Juluka
[edit] 11th South African Music Awards (2005)
The award ceremony took place on the 16th of April 2005 at the Sun City Super Bowl. SAMA 2005 winners in major categories:
- Best Female Artist - Thandiswa Mazwai ("Zabalaza")
- Best Male Artist - Themba Mkhize ("Hands On")
- Best Duo or Group - Revolution ("Another Level")
- Best Newcomer - Simphiwe Dana ("Zandisile")
- Artist of the Year - Zola ("Bhambatha")
- Record of the Year - Brown Dash for "Phans' Komthunz' Welanga"
- Lifetime Achievement Winners: Sipho Mabuse, Brenda Fassie, Margaret Singana, Dorothy Masuku
[edit] 12th South African Music Awards (2006)
The award ceremony took place on the 6th of May 2006 at the Sun City Super Bowl. SAMA 2006 winners in major categories:
- Best Female Artist - Judith Sephuma ("New Beginnings")
- Best Male Artist - Jimmy Dludlu ("Corners Of My Soul")
- Best Duo or Group - Bongo Maffin ("New Construction")
- Best Newcomer - Brickz ("Face-Brick")
- Record of the year - Ntando for "Dali Wam"
- Artist of the Year - Ntando
- Best Rap Album of the Year - Tuks Senganga for ("Mafoko A Me")
Lifetime Achievement Winners: Piet Botha, Joe Correira, Al Debbo, Thandi Klaasen, Rex Rabanye
[edit] 13th South African Music Awards (2007)
The award ceremony took place on the 14th of April 2007 at the Sun City Super Bowl. SAMA 2007 winners in major categories:
- Best Female Artist - Simphiwe Dana - ("The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street")
- Best Male Artist - Vusi Mahlasela - ("Naledi Ya Tsela")
- Best Duo/Group - Mafikizolo - ("Six Mabone")
- Best Newcomer - Siphokazi - ("Ubuntu Bam")
- Album of the Year - Simphiwe Dana ("The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street")
- Record of the year - DJ Sbu for "Remember When It Rained"
- Lifetime Achievement Winners: Boet Pretorius, Abdullah Ibrahim, the Soul Brothers
[edit] 14th South African Music Awards (2008)
The award ceremony took place on the 3rd of May 2008 at the Sun City Super Bowl. SAMA 2008 winners in major categories:
- Best Female Artist - Karen Zoid - ("Postmodern World")
- Best Male Artist - Hip Hop Pantsula - ("Acceptance Speech")
- Best Duo/Group - Freshlyground - ("Macheri")
- Best Newcomer - Tasha Baxter - ("Colour Me")
- Album of the Year - Freshlyground - ("Macheri")
- Record of the year - DJ Sdunkero for "Maputo Song"
- Lifetime Achievement Winners: Ge Korsten, Lucky Dube
[edit] 15th South African Music Awards (2009)
The 15th Annual MTN South African Music Awards took place on May 2 at the Sun City Super Bowl. The multiple award winners included Lira, Goldfish, Thembisile and Joyous Celebration. Rhythmic Elements' 2 by 2 won MTN Record of the year. It was hosted by Trevor Noah and featured performances by top South African acts such as GoldFish, Bhekumuzi Luthuli (died April 2010),[2] Prime Circle and Zamajobe. Major winners were:-
- Best Male Artist – Abdullah Ibrahim – Senzo
- Best Female Artist – Lira – Soul In Sound
- Best Duo/Group – Soweto Gospel Choir
- Album of the year – Lira – Soul in mind
- Best New Artist – Andile Mseleku
- Record Of The Year – Rhythmic Elements – 2 by 2
[edit] 16th South African Music Awards (2010)
The 16th Annual MTN South African Music Awards took place on April 17 at the Sun City Super Bowl. Kelly Rowland premiered the official MTN World Cup 2010 theme song Everywhere You Go alongside other African singers such as 2face Idibia, Zuluboy or Chameleone. Other local superstars who performed at the glitzy award ceremony which was presented by Trevor Noah, included Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP), Die Heuwels Fantasties, Sterling EQ, Romanz, and Soweto Gospel Choir SAMA 2010 winners[3]:
- Male Artist of the Year Artist: Black Coffee - Home Brewed
- Female Artist of the Year: Lira - Live in Concert: A Celebration
- Duo / Group of the Year: Jaziel Brothers - The Journey
- Newcomer of the Year: Tshepo Mngoma - People and Places
- Album of the Year: Big Nuz - Undisputed
- Best Music Video of the Year: The Parlotones - Push Me To The Floor
- Best Maskandi Album: Umgqumeni - I SMS
- Best Rock Album (English): The Parlotones - Stardust Galaxies
- Best Pop Album (English): Axene - 16
- Best Pop Album (Afrikaans): Bobby van Jaarsveld - Net Vir Jou
- Best Pop Album (African): Ntando - Inqubenko
- Best Urban Pop Album: Jozi - Wild Life
- Best Sokkie Dans Album: Die Campbells - Mamma Maria
- Best Urban Dance Album: Black Coffee - Home Brewed
- Best Rap Album: Teargas - Dark or Blue
- Best Kwaito Album: Big Nuz - Undisputed
- Best Contemporary Jazz Album: Adam Glasser - Free at First
- Best African Traditional Gospel Album: Sechaba - Mangihamba Mawe
- MTN Best Selling Mobile Music Download: Hands Up - DJ Cleo
- Best Selling Album: Afrikaner Hart - Bok van Blerk
- Lifetime Achievement: Carike Keuzenkamp & Jabu Khanyile
- International Achievement: Soweto Gospel Choir
- MTN Record of the Year: Umlilo - Big Nuz featuring Tira
[edit] 17th South African Music Awards (2011)
For the first time, the SAMAs were held in Johannesburg at Montecasino, Fourways. The main ceremony which was broadcast on SABC 1 was on Saturday May 21st 2011, but a smaller gala event took place the night before. Loyiso Bala was one of the presenters, and freshlyground, Goldfish and Nomfusi amongst the guest performers. Some of the big winners were:
•Album of the Year: Liquideep – Fabrics of the Heart
•Newcomer of the Year: Locnville – Sun in My Pocket
•Duo or group of the Year: Liquideep – Fabrics of the Heart
•Male Artist of the Year: Professor – University Of Kalawa Jazmee
•Female artist of the Year: Thandiswa Mazwai – Dance of the Forgotten Free – Live in Concert
•MTN Record of the Year: Professor - Imoto
•Best Music Video of the Year: The Parlotones – The Stars Fall Down
•International Achievement Award: Die Antwoord
•Lifetime Achievement Award: Lance James & Sipho Gumede
•Best African Pop Album: Theo Kgosinkwe - Grateful
•Best English Pop Album: Jax Panik – I Am Jax Panik
•Best Afrikaans Pop Album: Juanita du Plessis – Engel Van My Hart
•Best English Rock Album: Prime Circle – Jekyll & Hyde
•Best Afrikaans Rock Album: Van Coke Kartel – Skop, Skiet en Donner
•Best Sokkie Dans Album: Kurt Darren - Die Beste Medisyne
•Best Rap Album: Amu – The Principle
•Best Kwaito Album: Professor – University Of Kalawa Jazmee
•Best Jazz / Instrumental / Popular Classical DVD: Sterling EQ
•Best popular classical album: Peter Martens & Luis Magalhães – Beethoven Cello Sonatas
•Best R&B/Neo-Soul Album: Leanne - The Journey
•MTN Best-selling Mobile Music Download: DJ Mzi ft. DJ Cleo – Nababantwana
•Full-track Download of the Year: Shout – Artists for a Safer South Africa
•Best English Adult Contemporary Album: Freshlyground - Radio Africa
•Best African Adult Contemporary Album: Stimela - A Lifetime
•Best English Alternative Music Album: Yoav – A Foolproof Escape Plan
•Best African Alternative Music Album: Nomsa Mazwai - Nomisupa
•Best Global Chart DVD: The Parlotones - Live Design
•Best Global Dance Album: Goldfish – Get Busy Living
•Best Multi-Artist Live DVD: Huisgenoot Skouspel 2010
[edit] References
- ^ "SA Rock Digest No. 17". http://sarockdigest.com/archives/issue_17.html. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com Accessed April 2010
- ^ http://www.samusicawards.co.za/#/news/id:63
