The Future Is Hear
It’s South African Music Awards day and today sees the ceremony move to the Durban International Convention Centre in what has been a good year for music in Durban. The 22nd edition of the awards ceremony will be hosted by Somizi Mhlongo and Thando Thabethe. The ceremony will be broadcasted at 8PM on SABC 1 and for those with an unlimited data bundle there will be a live 360 VR stream of the event exclusive to the official SAMA 22 app.
As much as the adjudication process of the awards is skewed to favour artists who have the backing of major labels – thus lacking independent representation – we thought it an interesting exercise to predict who we think the winners would be.
Keeping in mind certain requirements, including factors such as airplay and album sales, we predicted the winners in the top five categories, the record of the year category and a few of the other genre categories.
Amstel Record Of The Year
“Baddest” – AKA featuring Khuli Chana, Burna Boy and Yanga
This category is decided based on votes which are open to the public. This effectively makes this category a popularity contest and it’s quite difficult imagining anyone other than AKA winning this award.
Album of the Year
Nathi – Buyelekhaya
Nominees: Francois van Coke – Francois van Coke; Emtee – Avery; Nathi – Buyelekhaya; Tresor – VII; Black Coffee – Pieces of Me
Nathi’s debut, Buyelekhaya, did what Zahara’s Loliwe did in 2012. It’s either Nathi or Black Coffee to take this awards and my instincts say Nathi.
Best Duo/Group of the Year
Big Nuz – For The Fans
Nominees: Desmond & the Tutus – Enjoy Yourself; Witness the Funk – Finding Nomusa; Marcus Wyatt & the ZAR Jazz Orchestra – One Night in the Sun; Junior Taurus & Cotton Candy – Lady Zamar; Big Nuz – For the Fans
Congratulations to Desmond & The Tutus for the nomination nod but this category is Big Nuz’s to lose and only Witness The Funk have the potential to dethrone them.
Best Newcomer
Emtee – Avery
Nominees: Riky Rick – Family Values; Emtee – Avery; Tresor – VII; Fifi Cooper – 20Fifi; Nathi – Buyelekhaya
Probably one of the tougher categories to predict a winner but this award is going to hip-hop and something tells us Emtee will beat out both Riky Rick and Fifi Cooper.
Best Male Artist of the Year
Nominees: Nathi – Buyelekhaya; Black Coffee – Pieces of Me; Riky Rick – Family Values; Emtee – Avery; Francois van Coke – Francois van Coke
For some years now, Black Coffee has been flying the South African flag on a global level and he is most deserving of this award.
Best Female Artist of the Year
Zahara – Country Girl
Nominess: Judith Sephuma – One Word; Zahara – Country Girl; Fifi Cooper – 20Fifi; Karen Zoid – Drown Out the Noise; Zonke – Work of Heart
Sorry Fifi Cooper, this is a battle between Zahara and Zonke.
Best Rock Album
Francois Van Coke – Francois Van Coke
Nominees: Desmond & the Tutus – Enjoy Yourself; Francois van Coke – Francois van Coke; Shortstraw – Youthless; Karen Zoid – Drown Out the Noise; Saarkie – Reisiger
Francois has the most nominations out of anyone in this group and with the support of the Afrikaans music buying community, it’s difficult to imagine the award going to anyone else
Best Pop Album
Tresor – VII
Nominees: Tresor – VII; Lakota Silva – Pop: The Mix Tape; Loki Rothman – The Way Back Can; Skylark – Overdrive; Vincent Bones – Shaded Soul
Tresor has the most nominations in this group and most people will recognised “Evergreen” featuring The Kiffness even though it’s not on the VII album.
Best Alternative Music Album
Petite Noir – La Vie Est Belle/Life is Beautiful
Nominees: Petite Noir – La Vie Est Belle/Life is Beautiful; Sannie Fox – Serpente Masjien; The Plastics – In Threes; Moonchild Sanelly – Rabulapha!; Die Heuwels Fantasties – Ja. Nee. Lekker
This category is most representative of the kind of music we cover and if it was up to us, Petite Noir would have also won Album of the Year as well.
Best Rap Album
Riky Rick – Family Values
Nominees: Emtee – Avery; Kid X – 3 Quarter Pace; Da L.E.S – North God; Riky Rick – Family Values; Zakwe – Impande
We had the option of flipping a coin to decide a winner between Riky Rick and Emtee, but having given the best newcomer award to Emtee, we giving best rap album to Riky Rick to keep things fair.
Best Dance Album
Black Coffee – Pieces of Me
Nominees: Black Coffee – Pieces of Me; Mi Casa – Home Sweet Home; Mobi Dixon – Tribal Soul Special Edition; DJ Merlon – Original Copy; Junior Taurus & Lady Zamar – Cotton Candy
Mi Casa is sure to give Black Coffee a run for his money. This category is a two horse race.
Best Music Video of the Year
Riky Rick ft. Cassper Nyovest & Anatii – “Fuseg”
Nominees: Jack Parow & Freshly Ground – Army of One; Riky Rick ft. Cassper Nyovest & Anatii – Fuseg; Al Bairre & PH Fat – Caviar Dreams; iFani – Ayadelela; Monark – Negatives Deluxe
To qoute Riky Rick himself, “Your video look like a GoPro, mina I only do art”
Comment below with who you think will be winners at the awards this evening
