Zakes Bantwini Says the SAMAs Happened but Most of South Africa Didn't Even Notice

• Zakes Bantwini criticised the current state of the South African Music Awards, saying most of South Africa did not even notice the ceremony
• His opinion piece sparked widespread debate on X, with many users agreeing that the SAMAs had lost relevance and credibility
• Fans raised concerns about judging, transparency, sound quality and sponsorships, blaming these issues for the decline in public interest

Internationally acclaimed South African musician Zakes Bantwini came out guns blazing in an opinion piece berating the current state of the South African Music Awards (SAMAs).

The opinion piece was reposted on X by a user with the handle @PhilMphela. The post attracted a lot of engagement, with many users agreeing with Zakes Bantwini.

Zakes Bantwini, who recently shared the history behind his music, has himself won multiple SAMAs, which gives him the credibility to comment on the SAMAs.

Part of the excerpt of the opinion piece reads as follows:

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"Yesterday, the SAMAs happened and most of South Africa didn't notice. We can accept that as normal, or we can do something about it. We can fight for the SAMAs the way we fight for international recognition. We can hold judges accountable. We can show up and participate."

See the post on X below:

Fans share their thoughts

Users on X mainly saw eye-to-eye with Bantwini, with some echoing his words. One user, @vanillablaq, commented:

"He’s so right. It just felt off. It was as though they‘ve lost their zest. It felt so empty watching them. How sad."

@londani_t shared:

"In these times of transparent streaming numbers, streams should be weighed to make votes."

@blackguymfwethu stated:

"It's not just the SAMAs. The idea of award ceremonies has died worldwide (for the audience). The awards are bought and that ruins their credibility. The idea of sitting down for more than 2 hours, watching people perform music genres you don't care about and win awards is awful. Most people just care about just two or fewer genres. It's not 2004 anymore.

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The same user added:

"Gone are the days when mainstream media was the plug for music. Now that the streets decide for themselves, it kind of makes award shows look stupid really. They are detached. But congratulations to Kelvin Momo."

@thabotebele wrote:

"That's what happens when real talent is not rewarded. Those awards are so rigged that music lovers lost interest. Blame it on corrupt organisers, record companies, and judges sitting on that panel."

@Lebo_alexis said:

"I switched in to watch the SAMAs but the sound was horrible. I had to change the channel just a few minutes in."

@Tshepo087 blamed the perceived decline in value on the Motsepe Foundation. He said:

"Entlik hwiralang ka [What's actually going on about] the Motsepe Foundation? Why is it that everything they touch loses quality? First it was Miss SA, which has lost all its glory. Now it's the beloved SAMAs!"

@MNtonyela wrote:

"I did not know about the SAMAs until I saw an article saying Kelvin Momo won the album of the year award or something."

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@_iamteezah echoed the previous user, stating:

"I am one of those who didn't know that they were happening until I saw Zakes's statement. It feels like they no longer care about the public, but are just doing it for sponsors."

Zakes Bantwini abruptly ends a show

In another Briefly News report, the outspoken muso reportedly had to cut short his show in Johannesburg following inclement weather.

Source: Briefly News