Season 5
The South African Music Awards (SAMAs) are South Africa's premier annual music awards, recognising musical excellence across all genres, from traditional to Afrikaans to Rock and Pop as well as paying tribute to the various facets of musical production including production, engineering and video production.
Winning a SAMA is the highest award a musician or producer can win in South African music. An award statuette is called a SAMA.
The SAMAs are run by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).
The event was instituted in 1995 and has been held annually ever since. The awards for a year occur early in that year, and are judged on performances made in the previous year.
The first awards ceremony was devised after a string of failed sponsored awards ceremonies ending in 1992, with no recognition for the music industry for three years. The nominees were held on 29 June, 1995 with the first award ceremony following on 29 July, 1995. Both events took place in Midrand at The Theatre On The Track.
The first awards to be televised were the fourth, in 1998 - a two-hour special which aired three days after the actual award ceremony. The first live broadcast was in 2002, at the eighth SAMA awards.
The show is typically held each year at the Superbowl in Sun City and is broadcast on SABC1, with performances given by some of the nominees and other guests. The venue changed to Monte Casino for the 2011 awards and returned to Sun City in 2012.
1999 Winners
Best Female Artist - Brenda Fasi for Memeza
Best Male Artist - Ringo for Mamelani
Best Duo/Group - TKZee for Halloween
Best Boeremusiek - Nico van Rensburg for Legende
Best South Sotho Music - Makaota for Makaota No. 10
Best Tsonga Music - Thomas Chauke na Shinyora Sisters for Mati-Endla (Shimatsatsa No. 18)
Best Tswana Music - Stiger & Sister for Mamelodi
Best Venda Music - Amon Mvula for Makorokoto Vol. 3
Best Traditional Xhosa Music - Inkunzi Emdaka for Konakele
Best Mbhaqanga Album- Soul Brothers for Amanikiniki
Best Maskandi Album - Phuzekhemisi for Phans'imikhonto
Best Newcomer (artist or group) - Tasché for Tasché
Best Vocal Choral Album - Singkronies Kamerkoor for Pieter van de Westhuizen
Best Isicathamiya Album - Hlanganani for Wezinsizwa
Best Music Video - Lee for Byala Bya Xintu by Jeff Maluleke
Best Instrumental Album - Soweto String Quartet for Millenia
Best Traditional Jazz Album - Winston Mankunku Ngozi for Molo Africa
Best Contemporary Jazz Album - Moses Taiwa Molelekwa for Genes & Spirits
Best Kwaito Album - TKZee for Halloween
Best Kwaito Single - TKZee and Benni for Halloween
Best Adult Contemporary Album, English - Lionel Bastos for Simple
Best Adult Contemporary Album - Afrikaans - Lucas Maree for Mot om die Kers
Best Adult Contemporary Performance, other than English or Afrikaans - Sibongile Khumalo for Live at the Market Theatre
Best Pop Album - Karma for One Day Soon
Best African Pop Album - Bongo Maffin for the Concerto
Best Rock Album - Battery 9 for Wrok
Best R&B Album - E'Smile for Mi House
Best Contemporary Dance Album - M.I.C. for Millenium...Gone and Beyond
Best Popular Dance Album - DJ's at Work for DJ's at Work
Best Contemporary Gospel Album - Ioannis Dekas for Icarus
Best Traditional Gospel Album - Z.C.C. Female Choir for Nantsi le Nqola
Best African Gospel Album - Rebecca for Somlandela
Best Album Package - Hilton Tennant, Oliver Schildt, Susan Shaw & Lou for Oppikoppi Bushveld Blast by Compilation
Best Producer - Craig Dodds for New Anthem by Egyptian Nursery
Best Engineer - Peter Pearlson for Move Moves by Unofficial Language
Best Single - TKZee & Benni for Shibobo
Song of the Year - Brenda Fasi for Vul'indlela