It’s GOING to be a warm winter as the Samas move to Durban this year. With the eThekwini Municipality as the hosting partner, the 22nd annual edition of the South African Music Awards will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on June 4.
The prestigious ceremony has been held at Sun City for over a decade but as Samas’ chairman Refiloe Ramogase said: “The challenge was that the Superbowl [at Sun City] was being refurbished this year and as a result, it wasn’t available for major events in the time that we needed it.
“In being the South African Music Awards, can we honestly call ourselves that if we are not necessarily rotating the property around the various provinces over time?” he asked. “As opposed to staying in one particular location over 13 of the last 14 years?
“So that’s pretty much how the thinking got to a place where we were like, ok, then let’s approach other provinces and municipalities to see who can possibly partner with. Of all the people we did engage with, we felt like the best fit for this particular year was eThekwini for a number of reasons.”
Last year, Hip Hop Pantsula hosted the Samas and his presenting skills received mixed reactions.
So I asked Ramogase if they’d consider giving a musician the hosting reigns again.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to look for what we think is the best fit for the Samas,” he said, “for the viewership demographic within the venue and the likely viewership demographic on TV based on the data.
“And we’re going to go with the best fit based on those kinds of considerations. Yes, we’re going to go with a presenter – whether it’s an artist or not, time will tell. We have a short list of people we have been screen-testing and we should have some great hosts for this year.”
As for what you can expect from the awards this year, Ramogase said: “There’s obviously an incredible and amazing legacy that the Samas carries, having been the longest-running, uninterrupted music platform which celebrates artists in South Africa and is as old as our democracy itself. We will take that legacy proudly forward but we will also give it new eyes.”
The 22nd South African Music Awards will take place at the Durban ICC on June 4.
The hosts with the most
While we wait for the Samas to announce their new host(s) for this year’s ceremony, we came up with a list of quirky personalities they could consider.
Somizi: Honestly, the 90s Somizi-style choreography that’s omnipresent at award shows has got to go but the Somgaga can stay. The Idols judge is very funny and has great improvisational skills.
Nomuzi Mabena: The New Age Ma-Beezus has people riled up for daring to jump out of the VJ box into the shoes of a rapper almost overnight. She’s a good presenter and we know the fashion will at least be edgy.
Trevor Gumbi: For the most ratchet Samas ever, the committee would have to give this comedian carte blanche on everything from the script to what he is (or isn’t) wearing. The only thing better than Gumbi hosting is him co-hosting with Rebecca Malope.
Thenjiwe Mosley: Imagine if My Sangoma is the Best was the beginning of every acceptance speech. This lawyer-turned-comedian-and-actress is a riot on stage and her characters – like the sangoma – have a huge following.
Riana Nel: Who? The singer-songwriter scooped the Best Pop Album (Afrikaans) and the Best Selling Mobile Music Download at the Samas last year. Particularly because of the latter, it was funny that the majority of people on social media didn’t seem to know who she is. Hosting the awards would be the perfect way to get to know her.