South African Music Awards


The South African Music Awards are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in November of the previous year. The nominations are typically announced at the end of March. The winners receive a gold-plated statuette called a SAMA.
The show has mostly been held at the Super Bowl in Sun City, with the exception of three years, and broadcast live on national broadcaster, SABC. The ceremony features live performances as once-off collaborations by a selection of nominees.

Awards

As of the 26th SAMAs, in 2020, there are a total of 30 categories awarded. These categories change from year to year to accommodate changes in music styles and changes in popularity of already existing genres. These genres include adult contemporary, Afrikaans, classical, dance, faith, jazz, Kwaito, Maskandi, pop, rap, reggae, RnB, rock, soul, and traditional.
At times genres are grouped together into a single category based on their popularity amongst a certain demographic.
As of the 27th South African Music Awards, artists working in the Gqom and Amapiano genres will be considered in separate categories.

Top five awards

These are the top five award categories of the SAMAs. They were first introduced at the ceremony in 1995, with exception of Album of the Year that was introduced in 2007.
The winners of the following SAMAs are not chosen by a panel of judges:
  • Record of the Year: Determined by a public vote, traditionally by SMS

    Mobile download awards

Eligibility and entry

As per the committee guidelines, only citizens and permanent residents of South Africa are eligible for a nomination.

Adjudication process

At the beginning of the adjudication process a Supervisory Committee is set up, it consists of two members from each of five "super genre" categories, which are Global Charts, Urban, Traditional, Technical and Jazz or Classical. This committee oversees the entire SAMA ceremony production process, along with the Steering, General Rules, and Vetting Committees. These committees are composed of unpaid volunteers from record companies and industry stakeholders. The judges are drawn from a wide spectrum to include journalists, critics, musicians, producers, and academics. There are five judges per genre category, based on the judge's field of expertise. The judge's anonymity is protected by the Steering committee, who ensure the judge's do not influence each other. The entire adjudication process takes place between September and February, with the nominees announced in March.

Phase one

The first phase takes place between late-September and December. The Steering Committee first determine the award categories, rules, and judging criteria for the entries. A panel of judges is elected and a call for entries takes place in November. The entries are vetted to comply with the committee rules, and genre guidelines.

Phase two

In this genre category phase, the judges receive a copy of the entries by the end of December. The entries are scored against the criteria set by the Steering Committee. The score cards are submitted online, along with recommendations for the Top Five category nominees. The Top Five categories are nominated from the same pool of entries. An electronic judging system calculates the results, which are then audited by an independent firm at the end of January.

Phase three

This final phase of adjudication evaluates the Top Five categories. One judge from each genre category is selected to be part of the first round of voting. These judges select their top three entries, in their respective genres, taking into account the recommendations from other judges. The independent auditing firm ensures that a finalist in the Top Five has qualified for a nomination in their respective genre. Once the auditors have confirmed the Top Five finalist list, the last round of voting begins. All the judges participate in this round to determine the winners of each Top Five categories.

Ceremonies

The first awards ceremony was in 1995, there have been 30 editions to date.
CeremonyDateMost AwardsAlbum of the YearBest NewcomerBest Female ArtistBest Male ArtistBest Duo or GroupHostVenue
1st SAMA1995rowspan=12 Soweto String QuartetBrenda FassieJabu Khanyilerowspan=2 Alberton City Hall
2nd SAMA1996Qkumba ZooVicky SampsonLebo M--
3rd SAMA1997RevolutionSibongile KhumaloJohannes KerkorrelLadysmith Black Mambazo-
4th SAMA1998Jimmy DludluYvonne Chaka ChakaVusi MahlaselaThe Usual-
5th SAMA18 May 1999TaschéBrenda FassieRingo MadlingoziTKZee-
6th SAMA30 March 2000Gloria BosmanBusi MhlongoJimmy DludluLadysmith Black MambazoMartin JonasSun City Super Bowl-
7th SAMA5 April 2001Selaelo SelotaMiriam MakebaDon LakaBayete and Jabu KhanyileSandton Convention Centre-
8th SAMA13 April 2002Ernie SmithJudith SephumaJimmy DludluBongo MaffinVusi Twala
Unathi Mankayi		Sun City Super Bowl-
9th SAMA6 April 2003Moses KhumaloSibongile KhumaloHugh Masekela
for album Time		MafikizoloSun City Super Bowl-
10th SAMA29 May 2004AdilahSwazi DlaminiThemba MkhizeMafikizoloUnathi Nkayi
Tshepo Maseko		Sun City Super Bowl-
11th SAMA19 April 2005Simphiwe DanaThandiswa MazwaiThemba MkhizeRevolutionSun City Super Bowl-
12th SAMA6 May 2006Judith Sephuma BrickzJudith SephumaJimmy DludluBongo MaffinTumisho MashaSun City Super Bowl-
13th SAMA14 April 2007Simphiwe Dana The One Love Movement On Bantu Biko StreetSiphokaziSimphiwe DanaVusi MahlaselaMafikizoloSun City Super BowlKabelo Mabalane
14th SAMA3 May 2008Freshlyground Ma' CheriTasha BaxterKaren ZoidHHPFreshlygroundSun City Super Bowl
15th SAMA2 May 2009Lira Soul In MindAndile MselekuLiraAbdullah IbrahimSoweto Gospel ChoirSun City Super BowlTrevor Noah
16th SAMA16 April 2010UndisputedTshepo MngomaLiraBlack CoffeeJaziel BrothersSun City Super BowlTrevor Noah
17th SAMA21 May 2011Professor Fabrics Of The HeartLocnvilleThandiswa MazwaiProfessorLiquideepLoyiso BalaMontecasino
18th SAMA29 April 2012Zahara LoliweZaharaZaharaAKAMi CasaSun City Super Bowl
19th SAMA11 May 2013Khuli Chana Lost in TimeToya DelazyKelly KhumaloKhuli ChanaFreshlyground-Sun City Super Bowl
20th SAMA28 April 2014Mafikizolo ReunitedNaima KayZaharaKabomoMafikizoloSun City Super Bowl
SAMA XXI19 April 2015Beatenberg The Hanging Gardens of BeatenbergCassper NyovestBucieAKABeatenbergHHPSun City Super Bowl
SAMA224 June 2016Nathi Pieces of MeNathiZonkeNathiBig NuzSomizi Mhlongo
Thando Thabethe		Durban International Convention Centre
SAMA2327
May 2017		Kwesta AmaZuluAmanda BlackAmanda
Blacks		KwestaBlack
Motion		Somizi Mhlongo
Tumi Morake		Sun City Super Bowl
SAMA 242
June
2018		Mafikizolo Rose GoldShekhinahShekhinahPrince KaybeeMafikizoloSomizi Mhlongo
Dineo Ranaka
Mpho Popps		Sun City Super Bowl
SAMA 251
June
2019		Black Coffee UmqheleSho MadjoziSho MadjoziBlack CoffeeBlack MotionBob Mabena
Twasa Seoke
Melanie Bala
Khuli Chana
Mpho Popps
Nomzamo Mbatha		Sun City Super Bowl
SAMA 263 August
7 August 2020		Scorpion kingsNdabo Zulu & Umgidi EnsembleAmi FakuPrince KaybeeNdabo Zulu & Umgidi EnsembleDineo Langa and Donovan GoliathSun City Super Bowl
SAMA 2731 July 2021Kabza De Small Once Upon A Time in LockdownBucy RadebeSho MadjoziKabza De SmallKabza De Small & DJ MaphorisaBontle Modiselle
Lawrence Maleka		Sun City Super Bowl
SAMA 2828 August 2022Chymamusique MusiqueKhanyisile MthethwaMsakiChymamusiqueReece Madlisa & ZumaMpho Popps
Robot Boii		Sun City Super Bowl
SAMA 2916, 17 November 2023Kabza De Small Lavish Worship - Nontokozo MbamboMyztroNontokozo MbamboAKAScorpion KingsDJ Sabby
Nomalanga Shozi		SunBet Arena
SAMA 302 November 2024Tyla Isimo - Kabza De Small, MthunziTylaTylauGatsheniKabza De Small and MthunziMinnie DlaminiGallagher Convention Center
SAMA3114 December 2025Thandiswa Mazwai Play at Your Own RiskNontokozo MkhizeGoldmax – Play at Your Own RiskBlack Motion - "Takala"Scoop Makhathini
Pamela Mtanga		Gallagher Convention Center