Golden Bean Awards to honour talent in SA’s Free State province

The awards will take place at the Sand du Plessie Theatre at the Peforming Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS). It will be preceded by the technical awards, taking place in 23 November at the Civic Theatre. Over 2000 guest are expected to attend over the two days.

The Golden Bean Awards seek to honour individuals and groups who have kept the beat of African music alive while showcasing Africa’s diversity. It aims to celebrate all Free State musicians for the time and effort they put into their art; in order to improve the current entertainment sector in the province, and to provide a platform to market the Free State’s musicians to the world outside.

After an impressive display of talent and potential at last year’s ceremony, this year's promoters Gaeitsiwe Group in partnership the Free State Department of Sports, Arts and Culture Recreation promise a bigger and better Gold Bean Awards that aim to position Mangaung as an entertainment destination for music lovers across the globe.

The creator of the Beanies, Tebogo Kotsi, has put together a team of fresh young talent to produce new ideas and concepts in this event. Teddy B, the creative director, promises to deliver an amazing production. With this year’s theme being 'Dare To Differ', the event promises to deliver more young talents and acts, including orchestras, choirs and live bands and interesting collaborations the whole festivities through.

No fewer than 28 categories will recognize the province’s finest talent, glamourous local celebrities and a few national guests, speakers and member of parliament all coming together in aid to promote local talent. New award categories that have been introduced include the addition of the technical awards, Best Traditional Group, Best International Act, Best National Act, Best Supporting Provincial Act and Dance group/dancer of the Year, as well as the converted Lifetime Achiever Award, which will be uniquely symbolised by an engraved championship ring. 23 of the categories are open to entries from the public, while nominees in 5 special categories we be nominated by the Beanies Executive Committee and the public broadcaster.

How to Enter

Forms for registrations have been available since 1 July. To enter, download the Golden Bean Awards entry form here.

Entry forms must be completed and submitted via email to [email protected] with a profile of the artist/s and three copies of their album or single (not a link)

The closing date for all entries is Friday 29 July 2016 at 5pm. No entries will be accepted after the deadline.

No registration fee is required.

What next?

The adjudication process will begin on 1 August and continue until 14 August. This is where the panel of 16 judges, consisting of media houses, radio program directors and sponsors, will determine the final nominees in each per category. The announcement of the 2016 Beanies nominees will take place on Wednesday 17 August.

Public voting for the nominees will take place from the 17 August till 17 November 2016. Nominees with the highest amount of SMS votes will be crowned the winner of their respective category. There will be no limit on the number of SMSs - you can vote as many times as you want.

In the run-up to the event, roadshows will be staged on the following dates:

• 20 August: Qwa-Qwa
• 3 September: Sasolburg
• 17 September: Lesotho
• 1 October: Botshabelo

According to awards chairman Tebogo Kotsi, “The awards aim to promote local talent throughout the entire year, equipping young people with skills and information regarding the industry, as well as promoting current artists to a national and even an international level, and producing quality material in the province. We will also host a workshop for all our nominees to assists and equip them with all the necessary skills needed for the industry.”

For more details visit the Golden Bean Awards Facebook page. Watch highlights from last year's event in the video below.