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.- Album of the Year
- Best Newcomer of the Year
- Best Female Artist of the Year
- Best Male Artist of the Year
- Best Duo or Group of the Year
Audience awards
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