Newcomers top SAMAs nominations

The SAMAs nominee announcements were held at the Destiny Exclusive Hotel in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, on Thursday evening. The 23rd edition of the awards ceremony will be held at the Sun City Superbowl near Rustenburg on 27 May. The nominations list is dominated by new artists who released their debut or follow-up album in the previous year.

“This is the year newcomers take most of the limelight undoubtedly,” Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) CEO Nhlanhla Sibisi said. “It is truly encouraging to see so many young and new artists dominate the list. It can only bode well for the industry. The future is bright and we couldn’t be happier for them.”

Nasty C, gospel artist Dr Tumi and Afro-pop singer/songwriter Amanda Black are among the newcomers.

Nasty C’s debut album Bad Hair Extensions has earned him a nomination in the Album of the Year and Best Rap Album categories, while his videos ‘Don’t Do It’ and ‘Good Girls’ have him in the running for the Best Music Video Award. He has also been nominated for the Best Male Artist of the Year and Best Newcomer accolades.

Nasty C (real name David Junior Ngcobo) could not hide his excitement and took to Twitter. “God comes through every single time,” he wrote.

Kwesta, a rapper and songwriter signed to Urbantainment, bagged nominations for Best Album of the Year, Best Male Artist of the Year and Best Rap Album. He also got two nods in the Best Collaboration category to earn a total of five nominations.

Amanda Black, who led the pack with five nominations at the 2017 Metro FM Music Awards, is in fourth position with four nominations. She received nods in the Best Newcomer of the Year, Best Album of the Year, Best Female Artist of the Year and Best R&B Soul Reggae Album categories.  

The Best African Artist category was dominated by Zimbabwean artists Oliver Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah. Botswana’s Vee Mampeezy, who was also among the nominees for the Metro FM Awards’ One Africa Award, receives a nomination together with Patoranking (Nigeria) and Vuyo Katsha (South Africa). Gospel musician Sfiso Ncwane, who passed away in December last year, is nominated in the Best Traditional Faith Music Album category. He will be competing posthumously against Spirit of Praise, Teboho and Zaza.

Meanwhile, top rapper Cassper Nyovest snubbed the SAMAs by not submitting his music for consideration. Last year, the musician wrote on social media: "I don’t want to win a SAMA any more. I’m good without them.”

Nonetheless, he has been credited on three songs that he featured on – a collaboration with Kwesta, a collaboration with Major League and a Coke Studio production.

Founded in 1995, the SAMAs are owned by RiSA and are held in late April or May every year, with the judging process starting about six months prior to the ceremony.

According to RiSA, artists who wish to enter their music for the SAMAs are required to pay a fee. RiSA members pay R650 ($50) excluding VAT while non-RiSA members pay R3 500. Artists are permitted to enter for one genre category only and are required to pay extra if they wish to enter the same album for technical categories such as Best Produced or Best Engineered album. In March this year, RiSA announced that it had attracted more than 700 entries for the nomination process.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Best Newcomer of the Year

• Soul Kulture
• Babes Wodumo 
• Sketchy Bongo
• Nasty C
• Amanda Black

Best Album of the Year

• Kwesta – Dakar II
• Black Motion – Ya Badimo
• Amanda Black – Amazulu
• Nasty C – Bad Hair Extensions
• Thandiswa – Belede

Best Duo/Group of the Year

• The Soil
• Jaziel Brothers
• Soul Kulture
• The Parlotones
• Black Motion

Best Female Artist of the Year

• Lebo Sekgobela
• Babes Wodumo 
• Kelly Khumalo
• Amanda Black
• Thandiswa

Best Male Artist of the Year

• Dr Tumi
• Kwesta
• Musa 
• Nasty C
• Nathi 

Best Rock Album

• The Sweet Resistance – Where There Is Hope
• Lost & Found – Lost & Found
• Richard Stirton – Middle Ground
• The Parlotones – Trinkets, Relics & Heirlooms
• Albert Frost – The Wake Up

Best Pop Album

• Matthew Mole – Run
• Locnville – Taste The Weekend
• GoodLuck – The Nature Within
• Sketchy Bongo – Unmasked
• TiMO ODV – Origins (Digital Edition)

Beste Pop Album

• 4Werke – 4 Warm
• ADAM – Hoogtevrees
• Dewald Wasserfall – Jy Is Die Storm
• Kurt Darren – Sal Jy Met My Dans
• Snotkop – HKGK

Best Adult Contemporary Album

• Elvis Blue – Optics
• Hugh Masekela – No Borders
• Majozi – Fire
• Mango Groove – Faces to the Sun
• Msaki – Zaneliza: How The Water Moves

Beste Kontemporêre Musiek Album

• Adam Tas – Patatas en Pyptabak
• Coenie de Villiers – Emoji
• Joshua na die Reën – Die Wêreld Binne My
• Refentse – My hart bly in ‘n taal
• Ricus Nel – Ouskool Boerseun

Best African Adult Album

• Dumza Maswana – Molo
• Kelly Khumalo – My Truth
• Nathi – Umbelelo Wam
• Nozipho – Thando
• Soul Kulture – Ngeliny'ilanga

Best Alternative Music Album

• Arno Carstens – Die Aandblom 13
• Chris Chameleon – Firmament
• Native Young – Kings
• Somerfaan – Alien Boogie Stuff
• Tailor – Trust Part 1

Best R&B Soul Reggae Album

• Afrotraction – Love and respect
• Amanda Black – Amazulu
• Brenda Mtambo – So Much More
• Karabo – Matters of the heart
• Tima Reece – 9

Best Rap Album

• A Reece – Paradise
• Khuli Chana – One Source
• Kwesta – Dakar II
• Nasty C – Bad Hair Extensions
• Stogie T – Stogie T

Best Kwaito Album

• Babes Wodumo – Gqom Queen Vol 1
• Bullistic – N.W.O (New World Order)
• Dr Malinga – Goodwill
• Taylor K – Paper Chase
• Trademark & Zinhle Ngidi – Trademark & Zinhle Ngidi

Best Dance Album

• DJ Clock – The 5th tick
• Black Motion – Ya Badimo
• Durbans' Finest – Durbans’ Finest – Reloaded
• Mobi Dixon – Live The Music
• NaakMusiQ – Born to Entertain

Best Traditional Faith Music Album

• Deborah Fraser – Uhambo
• Sfiso Ncwane – Wethembekile Baba
• Spirit Of Praise – Spirit Of Praise Vol 6
• Teboho – Nkutlwele Bohloko
• Zaza – Blowing the horn of chronicle

Best Contemporary Faith Music Album

• Dr Tumi – Heart of a king
• Dr Tumi – Love and grace
• Khaya Mthethwa – The Dawn
• Lebo Sekgobela – Restored
• We Will Worship – Mmuso

Best Traditional Music Album

• Candy – Easy Come Easy Go
• Dr Thomas Chauke Na Shinyori Sisters – Shimatsatsa No 34: Xiganga
• Mmaausi – Monna Oa Sokelwa
• Qadasi & Maqhinga – Lashis' Ilanga
• Shabalala Rhythm – Yebo Ngiyavuma

Best Maskandi Album

• Imfez'emnyama – Monalisa
• Imithente – S’yawuvala Umlomo
• Khuzani – Inyoni Yomthakathi
• Shwi noMtekhala – Kwabhalwa Etsheni
• Thokozani Langa – Amabrazo

Best Jazz Album

• Darren English – Imagine Nation
• Dave Reynolds & Pops Mohamed – Live in Grahamstown
• Nduduzo Makhathini with Umgidi Trio and One Voice Vocal Ensemble – Inner Dimensions
• Sydney Mavundla – Luhambo
• Thandiswa – Belede

Classical Instrumental Album

• Bongani Radebe – Buyelekhaya Sax Rendition
• Charl du Plessis Trio – Baroqueswing Vol. II
• Imilonji KaNtu Choral Society – And Then I Heard a Voice by SJ Khosa
• The Voice of Angels – The Voice of Angels Volume 2
• University of Pretoria – Love and War

Best Afro-pop Album

• Jaziel Brothers – Jaziel Brothers
• Musa – Musa
• Robbie Malinga – Robbie Malinga
• The Soil – The Soil
• Vusi Nova – Vusi Nova

African Indigenous Gospel Album

• Amadodana Ase Wesile – Amadodana  Ase Wesile
• Jerusalema E Ncha – Jerusalema E Ncha
• Lejwe la Motheo – Lejwe la Motheo
• Living In Christ Legends – Living in Christ Legends
• T.C.C.C. Mass Choir – T.C.C.C. Mass Choir

Best African Artist

• Jah Prayzah 
• Oliver Mtukudzi 
• Patoranking 
• Vee Mampeezy
• Vuyo Katsha 

Live Audio Visual Recording Album

• Joyous Celebration – Joyous Celebration 20 – Part 2 – The Alumni
• Joyous Celebration – Joyous Celebration 20 Live at The Moses Mabhida Stadium
• Khaya Mthethwa – The Dawn
• Krone & Various Artists – Krone 3 DVD
• Spirit Of Praise – Spirit Of Praise Vol.6

Best Collaboration

• Black Coffee – ‘Your Eyes’
• Kwesta – ‘Mayibabo’ 
• Kwesta – ‘Ngud’
• Miss Pru – ‘Ameni’
• Musa – ‘Mthande’

Best Music Video of the Year

• Khuli Chana – ‘One Source’
• Miss Pru – ‘Ameni’
• Nasty C – ‘Don't Do It’
• Nasty C – ‘Good Girls’
• Reason ft AKA & Khuli Chana – ‘Yipikayay’

Best Produced Album

• Afrotraction – Love and Respect
• Brenda Mtambo – So Much More
• Matthew Mole – Run
• Rubber Duc – The Secret Sun
• Sjava – Isina Muva

Best Engineered Album

• The Soil – Echoes of Kofifi
• Arno Carstens – Aandblom 13
• Mango Groove – Faces To The Sun
• Jesse Clegg – Things Unseen
• LeAnne Dlamini – Warrior

Remix of the Year

• Distruction Boys – ‘Wololo (Dbanj Remix)’
• DJ Mizz – ‘Close to You (Mizz Afro Remix)’
• Evida – ‘The Woods (Evida Remix)’
• Kyle Deutsch – ‘Can't Get enough (Official Remix)’
• Vic – ‘Wena Wedwa (MusicCraftMAN Mix)’