The SAMA25 winners have been announced! The award ceremory took place at Sun City on Friday the 31st of May and Saturday the 1st of June 2019. It was two great nights celebrating SA Music.

Sho Madjozi, Sjava and Black Coffee featured on the list of SAMA25 winners

It was a good night for newcomer Sho Madjozi. She won two of the coveted SAMA25 awards (for Newcomer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year). Sjava scooped the prestigious Album of the Year and Best Afro Pop Album while Black Motion with ‘Moya wa Taola’ won Best Dance Album and Duo/Group of the Year.

DJ Black Coffee also sealed the double win with two gongs Male Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration Award with David Guetta for ‘Drive’ from last night.

Joyous Celebration were one of the biggest SAMA25 winners

They picked up the SAMRO/ CAPASSO Best Selling Digital Artist (Composer’s Award) and the awards for Best Selling DVD and Best Selling Artist.

The silver jubilee of SAMA reached a nail biting crescendo when the public-voted Record of the Year winner was announced as ‘Deeper’ by Holly Rey.

The highly contested Best Hip Hop Album award went to Nasty C for his ‘Strings and Bling’. Kwaito veteran Spikiri proved his staying power when he beat stiff competition to clinch Best Kwaito/Gqom/Amapiano Album.

Spirit of Praise won the Best Traditional Faith Music Album for their ‘Spirit of Praise Vol. 7’ while on the African Indigenous front Ithimba LeAfrica’s ‘Sesiphunyukile’ came out tops.

Dan Patlansky walked away with the SAMA for Best Rock Album, Snotkop’s ‘SOUS’ took home the Beste Pop Album and Tresor’s ‘Nostalgia’ earned him Best Pop Album. Sgwebo Sentambo emerged a winner in the Best Maskandi Album for ‘Yekani Umona’. Candy’s ‘Hupenyu Unenge Viri’ won the Best Traditional Album.

Lifetime Achievement recognition was bestowed on the late Motswako hip hop proponent HHP, kwaito and guz pioneers TKZee and the iconic band Mango Groove.

A series of six paired hosts took the audience through the 25 years of the SAMA

Radio stars Bob Mabena and Melanie Bala recreated their TV partnership as they threw back to the 90s, Twasa of Lesedi FM and rapper Khuli Chana held it down for the 2000s while comedian Mpho Popps and actress / humanitarian Nomzamo Mbatha presented the 2010s.

There were some memorable and magical moments

The SAMA25 stage exploded with performances that brought back great memories such as the Kwaito leg featuring Bongo Maffin, Thebe, Trompies, Freshly Ground (Zolani) and Connell Cruise.

The beauty of South African heritage was in full display in the Traditional segment led by the iconic Mahotella Queens and the bow and arrow legend Madosini, and SAMA25 nominees Tswelelang Cultural Dancers and VhaVenda Cultural Group.

The Hip Hop fraternity came out in full force with Ishmael, Zakwe, BLAKLEZ, Citi Lyts and Musiholiq. Sjava, Mlindo The Vocalist, Refentse, Zethe and Mbuzeni represented the Maskandi/Urban part well.

Gospel powerhouses Rebecca Malope and Ntokozo Mbambo hit all the right notes along with Sipho Ngwenya and the Soweto Gospel Choir. The In Memoriam performed by SAMA25 nominees Vusi Nova, Jessica Mbangeni and Thembisile Ntaka was both uplifting and a tearjerker.

The curtain came down on SAMA25 with a spectacular finale of performances from winner Sho Madjozi, Kelly Khumalo, DJ Sumbody, Dladla Mshunqisi, DJ Tira and Distruction Boyz, Sun-El Musician and Mobi Dixon.

Nhlanhla Sibisi (CEO of RiSA) had these comments:

“We are proud of the SAMA25 journey and how fitting the celebrations have been tonight. We applaud the winners and nominees, the performers, presenters and hosts who brought their flavours to making this event such a great success. A big thank you to our sponsors, stakeholders and partners. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the music loving South Africans who have supported the SAMAs since day one and without whom all this would not take place. We are filled with hope that the future of SAMA and music in this country is bright”.

North West MEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation, Mme Tsotso Tlhapi was ecstatic about the success of SAMA25

“I am really over the moon. The event truly lived up to Its expectations. Congratulations to all the winners. What a way to celebrate 25 years of excellence.”

Here’s the full list of SAMA25 Winners:

Album of the Year

Sjava — Umqhele

Best Adult Contemporary Album

Ard Matthews – Impossible Machines

Best African Adult Contemporary Album

Nathi- Iphupha Labantu

Best African Indigenous Faith Album

Ithimba Le Africa — Sesiphunyukile

Best Afro Pop Album

Sjava — Umqhele

Best Alternative Album

Nakhane – You Will Not Die

Best Contemporary Faith Music Album

We Will Worship – Seasons Volume 1

Best Dance Album

Black Motion — Moya Wa Taola

Best Engineered Album

Vusi Nova – Manyan-nyan by Robin Walsh

Best Hip Hop Album

Nasty C — Strings N Bling

Best Jazz Album

Bokani Dyer Trio – Neo Native

Best Kwaito / Gqom / Amapiano

Spikiri — King Don Father

Best Live Audio Visual Recording

Cassper Nyovest – Fill up Orlando Stadium – Robin Kohl

Best Maskandi Album

Sgwebo Sentambo — Yekani Umona

Best Pop Album

Tresor — Nostalgia

Best Produced Album

Nasty C – Strings and Bling

Best RnB / Soul Album

Zonke – L.O.V.E

Best Reggae Album

Black Dillinger – Mavara is King

Best Rock Album

Dan Patlansky — Perfection Kills

Best Selling Artist

Joyous Celebration 22

Best Selling DVD

Joyous Celebration 22

Best Traditional Album

Candy — Hupenyu Unenge Viri

Best Traditional Faith Music Album

Spirit of Praise — Spirit of Praise Vol 7

Beste Kontemporere Musiek Album

Coenie de Villiers – Pure Coenie

Beste Pop Album

Snotkop — Sous

Capasso Best Selling Digital Download Composers Award

Joyous Celebration 22 – All for you – Lindelani Mkhize, Mnqobi Nxumalo, Siphiwe Ngcobo, Thobeka Mahlangu

Collaboration of the year

Black Coffee feat. David Guetta and Delilah Montagu – “Drive”

Duo / Group of the Year

Black Motion — Moya Wa Taola

Female Artist of the Year

Sho Madjozi

Lifetime Achievement Award

HHP, TKZEE and Mango Groove

Male Artist of the Year

Black Coffee — Music is King

Music Video of the Year

Jeremy Loops – Gold by Robert Smith

Newcomer of the Year

Sho Madjozi – Limpopo Champions League

Record of the Year

Holly Rey — “Deeper”

Remix of the Year

“Zakwe Sebentin” by Cassper Nyovest, HHP, Blaklez, Kwesta and Musiholiq

Rest of Africa Artist

Diamond Platnumz – A Boy from Tandale

SAMPRA Highest Airplay Song of the Year

Lady Zamar – Collide

SAMRO Composers Highest Airplay Award

Lady Zamar – Collide

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the SAMA25 winners. I wish them all of the best with their future musical endeavors.

Watch this space for regular updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.