KDI Report - South African Music Awards

Overview

The South African Music Awards (SAMAs) are the premier awards for the music industry in the country, regarded by some as the South African equivalent of the US Grammy Awards. 2016 was the 22nd year of the Awards, held in Durban on the 4th of June.

According to organisers, the main aims of the SAMAs are: to promote local music; to recognise the contribution made by musicians to the music and entertainment industry; and to showcase South Africa’s rich cultural diversity and history through music. The 2016 SAMAs were attended by 4160 people, with the venue at full capacity. An analysis of Google Trends data showed that 2016 generated a record number of searches, indicating increased public interest.

Research design was based on the Framework for the Monitoring and Evaluation of Publically Funded Arts, Culture and Heritage (SACO, 2016).

Data was collected via a short self-completion questionnaire at the ceremony. Results demonstrated that the SAMAs are successful in achieving their goals. The majority of those who attended the 2016 SAMA awards strongly agreed (65%) or agreed (24%) that it was an important event on the South African music calendar, which speaks to the aim of the organisers in using the event to raise the profile of South African artists. While 89% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the SAMAs help to raise the profile of South African musicians within South Africa, a smaller majority (62%) felt that they were successful in raising the international profile of SA musicians. This is also reflected in Google Trends data, which showed that most searches occurred in South Africa.