South Africa Music Awards
| South African Music Awards (SAMA) | |
|---|---|
Annual South African Music Awards Generic Logo
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| Awarded for | Outstanding achievements in the music industry of South Africa |
| Country | South Africa |
| Presented by | Recording Industry of South Africa |
| First awarded | 1995 |
| Website | samusicawards |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | SABC |
The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held in late-April or May every year, with the judging process starting in November of the previous year. The nominations are typically announced at the end of March. The winners receive a gold-plated statuette called a SAMA.
The show has mostly been held at the Super Bowl in Sun City, with the exception of three years, and broadcast live on national broadcaster, SABC. The ceremony features live performances as once-off collaborations by a selection of nominees. The SAMAs are considered the South African equivalent of the American Grammy Awards.
As of the 21st SAMAs, in 2015, there are a total of thirty-six categories awarded. These categories change from year to year to accommodate changes in music styles and changes in popularity of already existing genres. These generes include Adult Contemporary, Afrikaans, Classical, Dance, Faith, Jazz, Kwaito, Maskandi, Pop, Rap, Reggae, RnB, Rock, Soul and Traditional.
At times genres are grouped together into a single category based on their popularity amongst a certain demographic (e.g. Best Urban Artist nominees are often Hip Hop, African pop and Kwaito artists grouped together since these genres are popular amongst South Africans living in urban areas).
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