{"id":17755,"date":"2025-12-17T12:56:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wedodis.co.za\/news\/?p=17755"},"modified":"2025-12-17T12:56:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:56:06","slug":"zakes-bantwini-urges-samas-to-reform-or-risk-credibility-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wedodis.co.za\/news\/zakes-bantwini-urges-samas-to-reform-or-risk-credibility-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Zakes Bantwini Urges SAMAs to Reform or Risk Credibility Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Grammy Award-winning musician Zakes Bantwini has issued a warning regarding the future of the South African Music Awards (SAMAs), emphasizing an urgent need for reforms to regain credibility and public trust.<\/p>\n

In an open letter following this year\u2019s event, Zakes noted that the SAMAs have diminished to a point where even those within the industry barely acknowledged the ceremony.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday [Sunday], the South African Music Awards happened. I\u2019m a musician, and I barely knew about it. That\u2019s not me being careless; that\u2019s where we are now,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Once a significant event in the national calendar that engaged artists, fans, and media, Zakes remarked that the awards no longer resonate with the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a time when the SAMAs meant the whole country stopped. Now, yesterday came and passed. Barely a mention on social media. Artists weren\u2019t there. Fans didn\u2019t care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging the global success of South African artists, Zakes pointed out that international acclaim indicates the issue lies not with local talent, but with the awards themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur artists are doing big things internationally. Tyla\u2019s success shows the world is paying attention to what we\u2019re creating here. But we get more excited about global recognition than we do about our awards,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Zakes further criticized the judging process, stating that years of questionable outcomes have diminished trust in the awards.<\/p>\n

\u201cYear after year, artists and fans complained about winners who didn\u2019t make sense. Albums of the Year that nobody heard, Songs of the Year that weren\u2019t playing anywhere. That\u2019s not okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasized that this disconnect between winners and audiences has fostered a sense of apathy: \u201cFans stopped trusting that the SAMAs reflected reality. Artists stopped believing the awards were fair. And slowly, we all stopped caring.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the musician, the responsibility does not solely lie with the judges. He called on artists to actively support the awards and help in revitalizing their significance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we don\u2019t show up, we\u2019re part of the problem. When the stage is empty because someone couldn\u2019t be bothered to attend, what message does that send to fans? These are our awards. They belong to us. If we don\u2019t fight for them, who will?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zakes urged the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), which oversees the SAMAs, to carry out significant reforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cRiSA needs to make the judging process transparent. They need panels with diverse voices, people who are actually in touch with what\u2019s happening across genres and regions,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

He concluded by highlighting the importance of safeguarding the awards for future artists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we let the SAMAs fade completely, we\u2019re robbing young artists of something to work toward. We\u2019re destroying the infrastructure that should support and celebrate them throughout their careers. It\u2019s a lot of work, but it\u2019s not impossible. Other countries have reformed their music awards to reflect what\u2019s actually happening. We can do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

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