For the first time in the history of the SAMA, the public is invited to vote for the Artist of the Year, a new category introduced in SAMA27.
The Artist of the Year honours the musician, group or band that entertained the public in the past year as voted for by the public.
The voting lines opened on 01st June 2021. Any South African artist is eligible to be selected by the public, provided they released a new body of work between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020. Furthermore, the artist has to agree to be bound by the rules and regulations of the SAMA.
The voting will be managed by an independent company and the results will be audited by PwC. There will be no shortlist of nominees and the winner will be announced on the night of SAMA27 broadcast on SABC1.
The Artist of the Year category joins Record of the Year and Music Video of the Year categories as the third award voted for by the public exclusively. The other categories are adjudicated by a panel of expert judges.
Welcoming the news, Nhlanhla Sibisi, RiSA CEO commented: “We are absolutely delighted to present the Artist of the Year category. It’s about the people’s choice. This move is a response towards suggestions and pleas to have more public participation in the SAMA. The idea was presented to the RiSA board and after its approval we are ready to roll it out.
“We call upon the music loving South Africans to use this opportunity and make their voices heard. Be part of history and vote for the artist who entertained you the most in the past year It’s your choice, make it count. We look forward to a competitive race and crowning the first ever SAMA Artist of the Year.”
- To vote for your favourite Artist of the Year send an SMS to 45475 with the name of your preferred artist. SMSes are charged at R1.50 and each sim card is limited to 50 votes.
