Sizwe Dhlomo Clarifies Misconceptions Surrounding Rashid Kay’s Remarks on SAMAs Scheduling. South African media figure Sizwe Dhlomo has entered the discussion regarding the timing of the South African Music Awards (SAMAs), addressing comments made by hip-hop personality Rashid Kay, who asserted that notable international awards opt against weekends to prevent conflicts with artists’ paid performances.
Kay ignited the discussion on X on Sunday, questioning the logic behind scheduling award ceremonies on dates that might conflict with artists’ performance opportunities.
“The Grammys, the BETs and the Billboard Awards are never hosted on a weekend cos artists are booked. No one will sacrifice a booking fee for an award ceremony (where a win is not even guaranteed),” Rashid Kay tweeted.
Dhlomo promptly contested this assertion, emphasizing that at least two of the prominent awards shows cited by Kay are typically held on Sundays.
“What are you talking about? Lol! Grammys & BETs are on a Sunday bruh,” was Dhlomo’s response.
Kay seemed to accept the correction soon after, replying, “My bad but…”, thereby leaving the broader discussion on award show scheduling open for further exploration.
Evidence supports Dhlomo’s point. The Grammy Awards have consistently been held on Sundays; both the 2025 and 2026 ceremonies took place on this day, and the 2027 event is also set for a Sunday. Likewise, the BET Awards have recently occurred on Sundays, including the 2026 ceremony.
The scheduling history of the Billboard Music Awards, however, has varied, which complicates the overall claim.
This dialogue takes place against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about how South African awards can draw and keep top talent, especially when prominent performers can command substantial fees for bookings on the same evenings.
Dhlomo contributed further to the subject, proposing that the concern might not solely revolve around timing. He suggested that some artists may not regard awards with the same significance as they once did.
What began as a critique of the SAMAs’ scheduling ultimately transformed into a public fact-check, with Dhlomo emphasizing that even the most prestigious awards worldwide can comfortably occur on a Sunday.
