List of South African Music Award categories

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South African Music Awards (SAMAs) are awarded in a series of categories, each of which isolate a specific contribution to music. The standard awards list nominees in each category from which a winner is selected. SAMA categories have been added and removed over time.

Special awards[edit]

There are special awards which are awarded without nominations, typically for achievements of longer than the past year, which the standard awards apply to:

• Lifetime Achievement Award is a Special Merit Award presented to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.
• International Achievement Award is a Special Merit Award presented to performers who, during their musical careers, have achieved notable international success.

Top 5 categories[edit]

The Top 5 categories are standard awards for musical works which do not restrict nominees by genre, but may do so by some other criteria:

• Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the production team of an album.
• Group or Duo of the Year is awarded to a group or duo with reference to an album.
• Newcomer of the Year is awarded to an artist with reference to an album.
• Female Artist of the Year is awarded to a female artist with reference to an album.
• Male Artist of the Year is awarded to a male artist with reference to an album.

Genre-specific categories[edit]

Afrikaans[edit]

• Best Afrikaans Traditional Music Album
• Best Adult Contemporary Album: Afrikaans
• Best Afrikaans Gospel Album
• Best Kiddies Album: Afrikaans
• Best Country Music Album
• Best Rock Album: Afrikaans
• Best Alternative Music Album: Afrikaans
• Best Pop Album: Afrikaans
• Best Sokkie Dans Album
• Best Afrikaans DVD

Global Charts[edit]

• Best Adult Contemporary Album: English
• Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
• Best Kiddies Album: English
• Best Rock Album: English
• Best Alternative Music Album: English
• Best Pop Album: English
• Best Global Chart DVD

Jazz and Classical[edit]

• Best Popular Classical Album
• Best Instrumental Album
• Best Traditional Jazz Album
• Best Contemporary Jazz Album
• Best Jazz/Instrumental/Popular Classical DVD

Technical and Video[edit]

• Best Music Video of the Year
• Best Producer
• Best Engineer
• Remix Of The Year
• Best Album Packaging

Traditional[edit]

• Best South Sotho Music (SeSotho) Album
• Best Tsonga Music (XiTsonga) Album
• Best Venda Music (TshiVenda) Album
• Best Mbhaqanga Album
• Best Maskandi Album
• Best Traditional A Capella Album
• Best Adult Contemporary Album: African
• Best African Contemporary Gospel Album
• Best African Traditional Gospel Album
• Best Traditional African A Capella Gospel Album
• Best Alternative Music Album: African
• Best Traditional/African Adult Contemporary African DVD

Urban[edit]

• Best Urban Gospel Album
• Best Pop Album: African
• Best Urban Pop Album
• Best Urban Dance Album
• Best R&B/Neo-Soul Album
• Best Rap Album
• Best Kwaito Album

Other awards[edit]

• Record of the Year
• Best Selling Album
• Best Selling mobile music download

References[edit]

• South African Music Awards website