Johannesburg - The nominees for the Best Kwaito Song at the Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards will be one of the most hotly contested categories at this year’s event in November.
The official nominees were announced on Wednesday night.
The category for Best Kwaito Song will see songs that were released between 2010 and 2015 compete for the grand prize. Professor’s popular Jezebel will go head to head with Hlokoloza by Arthur Mafokate, Senatla by Trompies and the unofficial country anthem Sister Betina by Mgarimbe.
Organisers of the awards, now in its sixth year, said the event would take place at Sun City’s Super Bowl.
The nominees announcement took place in different parts of the country, with hosts Ishmael “Skhokho” Mpeoa broadcasting from Chaf Pozi in Soweto, while Whitney “DJ Lady Dimplez” Molefinyana was hosting from Sun City in Rustenburg.
South Africa’s kwaito star group Trompies is leading the pack, with four nominations. The group recently lost their fifth member Emmanuel “Mjokes” Matsane to an accident, after a performance in Soweto. Trompies is nominated in the Best Kwaito/House/ Gqom Group, Best Kwaito Single, Best Kwaito Song of 2010 to 2015, and the Best Collaboration categories.
Trompies member Jakarumba, as a solo artist, is nominated in the Best Kwaito Artist category.
In the Best DJ category, DBN Gogo is the only woman going up against DJ Ganyani, DJ Cleo and Sun El Musician. In the Best House Artist category, it’s Naakmusiq going up against female artists Bucie, Mpumi and Msaki.
The Best New Kwaito Artist has 10 artists vying for the prize. The Best Producer category will see DJ Maphorisa, Guffy Pilane, TNS, and Master KG, facing off.
Other categories include Best Kwaito Single, Best House Single, Best New House Artist, Best New Amapiano Artist, Best Kwaito Artist, Best Gqom Artist, and Best Collaboration.
In the Best Group or Duo, Bongo Maffin is up against MFR Souls, Soul Majestik, and Trompies. The Best Amapiano Song will see hit tracks like MFR Souls’ Amanikiniki go up against Mapara A Jazz ft Ntosh Gazi & Colano’s John Vuli Gate, Focalistic featuring Vigro Deep’s Ke Star and current hit in the streets DBN Gogo’s Khuza Gogo.
In the Best House Single category, Black Motion’s Marry Me featuring Msaki is up against Sabela by Citizen Deep, featuring Thiwe. Also in the category is Heavy K featuring Professor with Tsamaya, as well as Leroy Styles and Zakes Bantwini with Yekokwam.
Radio stations are also being given acknowledgement for their promotion of Kwaito music.
Gagasi FM, Ligwalagwala FM, Mahikeng FM, and Radio 2000 have been nominated.
New artist Kamo Mphela is nominated in the Best Music Video category for her single Nkulunkulu. She is up against Anaconda for his Ama Mask video, Jamaika Convers for Long Live Kwaito and Makhadzi for the Murahu video.
Most Voted Song category will see party anthems Emcimbini, John Vuli Gate, Ntyilo Ntyilo, and Uwrongo compete for the nod.
Voting lines are now open to the public and will remain open until September 17. To vote, music lovers can send an SMS, with the keyword MKHMA, the sub keyword, and the name of the nominated artist to 40439.
The Star