Kwesta, Amanda Black rule SAMAs 23

Real name Senzo Mfundo Vilakazi, Kwesta won in the Best Collaboration Album, SAMPRA Highest Airplay of the Year, Best Rap Album and Best Male Artist of the Year categories. He won the Best of the Year accolade for his album Dakar II, which features the hit single ‘Ngud’.

Amanda Black, through her debut album Amazulu, won the Best Newcomer of the Year, Best Female Artist of the Year, Best R&B/Soul/Reggae Album and Best Album awards. In second position was dance pair Black Motion with two awards in the Best Duo/Group of the Year and Best Dance Album categories.

Nasty C, who earlier topped the nominations list, walked away with the Record of the Year Award. The young rapper was stripped of a double nomination for Best Video of the Year. This after the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) received a number of enquiries about the release of the artist’s ‘Don't Do It’ and ‘Good Girls’ videos. RiSA then ruled that the videos had in fact not met the deadline.

Nigeria’s Patoranking was crowned Best African Artist, a category added to the SAMAs for the first time in 2017.

Here is the full of winners (in bold):

Best Newcomer of the Year

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

Best Album of the Year

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

Best Duo/Group of the Year

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

Best Female Artist of the Year

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

Best Male Artist of the Year

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

Best Rock Album

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

Best Pop Album

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

Beste Pop Album

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

Best Adult Contemporary Album

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

Beste Kontemporêre Musiek Album

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

Best African Adult Album

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

Best Alternative Music Album

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

Best R&B Soul Reggae Album

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

Best Rap Album

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

Best Kwaito Album

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

Best Dance Album

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

Best Traditional Faith Music Album

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

Best Contemporary Faith Music Album

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

Best Traditional Music Album

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

Best Maskandi Album

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

Best Jazz Album

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

Best Classical Instrumental Album

• Charl du Plessis Trio – Baroqueswing Vol. II
• Bongani Radebe – Buyelekhaya Sax Rendition
• 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

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

African Indigenous Gospel Album

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

Best African Artist

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

Live Audio Visual Recording Album

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

Best Collaboration

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

Best Music Video of the Year

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

Best Produced Album

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

Best Engineered Album

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

Best Remix of the Year

• Vic – ‘Wena Wedwa (MusicCraftMAN Mix)’
• 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)’

Record of the Year

• Nasty C
• AKA – One Time
• Amanda Black – Amazulu
• Babes Wodumo – Wololo (featuring Mampintsha)
• Black Coffee feat Shekinah – Your Eyes
• DJ Clock feat Prom Knights – Wolves
• Kwesta – Ngud
• Locnville – Cold Shoulder
• Matthew Mole – Run
• Miss Pru DJ – Ameni

Best Selling DVD of the Year

• Joyous Celebration 20

Best Selling Digital Artist

• Sfiso Ncwane – Ngipholise Nkosi

Best Selling Album of the Year

• My Hart Bly In ‘n Taal – Refentse

CAPASSO Best Selling Digital Download Composer’s Award

• Sfiso Ncwane – Ngipholise Nkosi

Highest Airplay of the Year

• ‘Ngud’ – Kwesta

International Achiever

• Pretty Yende

Lifetime Achievement

• Rebecca Malope
• Don Laka
• Babsy Mlangeni