Grammy Award-winning musician Zakes Bantwini has issued a stark warning about the future of the South African Music Awards (SAMAs), calling for urgent reforms to restore credibility and public trust.
In an open letter following this year’s ceremony, Zakes said the SAMAs have lost their significance to such an extent that even industry insiders barely noticed the event.
“Yesterday [Sunday], the South African Music Awards happened. I’m a musician, and I barely knew about it. That’s not me being careless; that’s where we are now,” he wrote.
Once a national celebration that captured the attention of artists, fans, and the media alike, Zakes said the awards no longer resonate with the public.
“There was a time when the SAMAs meant the whole country stopped. Now, yesterday came and passed. Barely a mention on social media. Artists weren’t there. Fans didn’t care,” he said.
Highlighting the global success of South African artists, Zakes pointed to international recognition as evidence that the problem lies not with local talent but with the awards themselves.
“Our artists are doing big things internationally. Tyla’s success shows the world is paying attention to what we’re creating here. But we get more excited about global recognition than we do about our awards,” he noted.
Zakes also criticised the judging process, claiming years of questionable decisions have eroded trust in the awards.
“Year after year, artists and fans complained about winners who didn’t make sense. Albums of the Year that nobody heard, Songs of the Year that weren’t playing anywhere. That’s not okay.”
He warned that this disconnect between winners and audiences has led to apathy: “Fans stopped trusting that the SAMAs reflected reality. Artists stopped believing the awards were fair. And slowly, we all stopped caring.”
The musician emphasised that responsibility does not rest solely with the judges. He called on artists to support the awards and take part in restoring their relevance.
“When we don’t show up, we’re part of the problem. When the stage is empty because someone couldn’t be bothered to attend, what message does that send to fans? These are our awards. They belong to us. If we don’t fight for them, who will?”
Zakes urged the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), which oversees the SAMAs, to implement meaningful reforms.
“RiSA needs to make the judging process transparent. They need panels with diverse voices, people who are actually in touch with what’s happening across genres and regions,” he wrote.
He concluded by stressing the importance of protecting the awards for the next generation of artists.
“If we let the SAMAs fade completely, we’re robbing young artists of something to work toward. We’re destroying the infrastructure that should support and celebrate them throughout their careers. It’s a lot of work, but it’s not impossible. Other countries have reformed their music awards to reflect what’s actually happening. We can do the same.”
