30th Annual South African Music Awards

The 30th Annual South African Music Awards celebrates the best music videos, albums and songs released in South Africa during the period 15 April 2023 to 14 April 2024. Entries for nomination consideration were open from 1 March 2024 to 15 April. For members of the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), the entry fee for an individual or entity was R862.50 ($), and for non-members it was R4,600.00 ($) including value-added tax per entry for all categories. Two public voting categories, Music Video of the Year (presented by RiSA) and Record of the Year (presented by the Motsepe Foundation), were announced via the South African Music Awards' website on 14 August 2024. The remaining nominations were announced on 26 September 2024 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng, where the ceremony would take place. Tyla was the most nominated artist with seven nominations, followed by Kabza de Small with six. YouTube and SABC1 partnered with RiSA to live stream and broadcast the event on 2 November 2024, at 20:00 South Africa Standard Time (UTC+02:00). Presented by RiSA, the ceremony was sponsored by the Motsepe Foundation; Department of Sports, Arts and Culture; SABC1; Santam; SABC; CAPASSO; SAMPRA, Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation; Joburg, YouTube and Proudly South African. On 18 October 2024, the South African Music Awards announced that Tyla would be honoured with the International Achievement Award. Sipho Makhabane and Ringo Madlingozi were the recipients for the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Oskido was bestowed the Chairperson's Award. On 2 November 2024, Tyla emerged as the most awarded artist with four accolades, ahead of Kabza de Small and Mthunzi with three. ==Winners and nominees==

Top 5 categories , Best African Indigenous Faith Music Album winner|alt=A group of performers on stage in matching outfits. , Best Engineered Album winner|alt=Two men on the sides and a woman in the middle posing for a picture. Below is the list of nominees. Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold. Album genre super categories Technical categories Public vote ==Special awards==

In the list below, winners are highlighted in bold where necessary. ==Performances==

Adapted from the live broadcast. Pre-show, industry awards and red carpet Main show was one of the SAMA 30 performers. ==Presenters==

Hosted by Luthando Shosha (also known as Lootlove), the pre-show took place on 1 November 2024, at the Gallagher Convention Centre. She also hosted the industry awards event. Preceding the main show, the red carpet event was hosted by Siphesihle Vazi and Kuhle Adams. The main show was hosted by Minnie Dlamini, Internet personalities including Ntando Duma were in attendance at the main event. Live broadcast Adapted from the live broadcast. ;Pre-show, industry awards and red carpet • Bitsa Lenkopane – presented Best Adult Contemporary Album • Luthando Shosha – presented Beste Kontemporêre Musiek Album, Best Afro Pop Album, Best Rock Album, Best African Indigenous Faith Music Album, Best Reggae Album, Best Produced Album, Best R&B/Soul Album and Best Contemporary Faith Album • Bontle Modiselle – presented Best Traditional Album & Best Alternative Album and Best Pop Album • Salvon and Bravo Le Roux – presented Best Classical/Instrumental Album and Best Traditional Faith Album • Dada Morero & Pinky Bala – presented Best Jazz Album, Best Kwaito Album and Best Gqom Album • DJ Fefe and Tumi Powerhouse – presentedb Remix of the Year and Best Collaboration • Minnie Ntuli – presented Best Dance Album and Best Produced Music Video ;Main show • Minnie Dlamini – introduced Zanele Potelwa and Nondumiso Ngobese • Nondumiso Ngobese Mabece – presented Newcomer of the Year • Nimrod Nkosi – presented Performance 2 • Douglas Mosadi and Chomee – presented Best Amapiano Album • Matome Chiloane and Unathi Nkayi – presented Chairperson Award • Musa Zondi and Tshedi Moholo – presented Best Maskandi Album • Matome Chiloane and Wouter Kellerman – presented International Achievement Award • Gayton McKenzie and Rebecca Malope – presented Performance 7 and the Lifetime Achievement Awards • Nomsa Chabeli and Bucy Radebe – presented Music Video of the Year • Lerato Matsoso and Refilwe Modiselle – presented Most Streamed Song of the Year • DJ Cleo – presented Duo or Group of the Year • Thabo Mokone and Wanda Baloyi – presented Male Artist of the Year • Mroza Buthelezi and Elle Tisane – presented Female Artist of the Year • Tiyani Maluleke and Tshepi Seakamela – Album of the Year • Rejoice Simelane and Hlompho Kekana – presented Record of the Year ==Prizes==

The cash prizes awarded to the winners of the Annual South African Music Awards. Adapted from the SAMA 30 general rules booklet. ==In Memoriam==

In memoriam segment was introduced by host Minnie Dlamini, with "Angiphili Mawungekho" by Sabelo Mthembu playing in the background. • Sandile "Mapaputsi" Ngwenya • Bokang "Malome Vector" Moleli • Lizwilenkosi "Lizwi Wokuqala" Mtshali • Jessica Mbangeni • Timmy "Ngqungqumbana" Kwebulana • Bulelwa "Zahara" Mkutukana • Tony Cedras • Siphiwe "General GTZ" Sibisi • Thabiso Sikwane • Bheka "Beekay" Mchunu • Nomvula "Milkflow" Mkhumbuza • Mthombeli "KCI" August • Gerald "Mac" McKenzie • Nhlamulo "DJ Mulo" Hlungwani • Colin "Bones" Delight • Zanele Mbokazi-Nkambule • Joe Ntsako Makhanza • Surabjit Jaybelly Baldeo • Robert Schroder • Chris Ghelakis • Mbongeni Ngema • Alvin Dyers • Peter "Mashata" Mabuse • Abraham Molabe Mmakola • Solomon "Solly Moholo" Molokoane ==Reaction==

Tyla's "Water" lost the Record of the Year award to Mthandeni SK and Lwah Ndlunkulu's "Paris". Following the conclusion of the main show on 2 November, Cassper Nyovest posted on Twitter to express his feelings on how Tyla was snubbed of the accolade. In response, Mthandeni SK implied that Nyovest, a hip hop musician, was trying to use maskandi to regain fame. In Nyovest's apology, he suggested a boxing match to address their issues. On 3 November, Zakes Bantwini criticized DJ Cleo's performance when he posted on Twitter and said that he felt like the Durban kwaito era was not well represented in the DJ's medley mix. In response to Bantwini on 4 November, DJ Cleo praised Bantwini's craft before saying that the South African Music Awards are very political and are not his show. Bantwini later apologized and said that his emotions were driven by his passion for music, and that he should have reached out privately. After the South African Music Awards had Arthur Mafokate and Cici perform at the same event despite their 2018 assault allegations, Cici expressed her feelings on Twitter the following day when she tweeted three brokenhearted emojis. Although Mafokate was acquitted due to lack of evidence to prosecute, the Women for Change organization called for a boycott for Chris Brown's South African concert in December 2024 due to his controversial past, but the South African Music Awards celebrated Mafokate's performance. Independent Online wrote that "it is very important to differentiate between Mafokate and Brown, as the former was not charged, while Brown pled guilty on multiple occasions". ==Explanatory note==