The FNB South African Music Awards
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The FNB South African Music Awards. 5 Years and Growing
It's gonna be hot this year!! The FNB South African Music Award's turn
5,
AND we're at the eve of a new millennium. This coincidence, however
unplanned, is nonetheless a fitting one. This ceremony, which is now in
its
5th year, is South Africa's only annual tribute to its artists,
songwriters, engineers, video directors, and producers.
Preparations for the event are in full swing; the judges are hard at
work
making their decisions on which artists will go on to become finalists,
the
daunting logistical details of the ceremony are being ironed out, and
the
Song of the Year Award, now in it's second year, is being set in place.
The
current FNB SAMA committee has taken especial care to incorporate
lessons
learnt from previous years ceremonies for this years proceedings. A
number
of changes and additions have been introduced into this year's awards,
with
the aim of making the ceremony a true and reflective celebration of
South
African music. The new developments in the Award Ceremony are as
follows:
Two new categories have been added- Best Kwaito Album and Best Kwaito
single
The calendar year for the Best Selling Album of 1998 has been extended
to
any album released from October 1997 through to December 1998.
The word 'performance' has been changed to 'album' in various
categories,
in the interest of clarity.
The word 'vocalist' has been removed from the Best Female Vocalist and
Best
Male Vocalist categories, and replaced with 'artist', therefore widening
up
the category to all musicians.
The Best Album Packaging Award will only be awarded to designs that have
been commercially available.
The submissions received this year reflect the years of dedication and
untiring effort that have been put into making the FNB SAMA's a credible
and all-encompassing ceremony. There have been an overwhelming number
of
entries submitted, making the 1999 Awards ceremony the most inclusive
and
exciting one ever.
Most of the traditional music categories have been filled. The Best
Newcomers category has received a record number of entries - an
irrefutable
testament to the increasing emergence of quality South African talent,
and
the two latest category additions Best Kwaito Single and Best Kwaito
Album
have also received an overwhelming number of entries.
The Song of the Year Award, the ceremony's most interactive award, is
growing from strength to strength. The FNB SAMA committee is in close
communication with radio stations nationwide, and the result is
increased
radio participation in this year's Award.
This Award, now in its second year, was made open to a public vote for
the
first time last year. It entails the radio stations playing last years
local hits for an intense two-week period to remind the South African
masses of the songs that moved and grooved them in 1998. A call centre
will be set up, which listeners can phone to register their musical
votes -
an auditing firm will be on hand to collate the numbers and determine
who
garnered the most votes. The results will be made public on the evening
of
the Award Ceremony.
An impressively qualified stable of judges has been gathered for this
year's ceremony, ensuring a fair, impartial and credible judging
process.
The outcome of their deliberations will be known by late-March, and the
media will be informed of those results at that time.
A ceremony that has made admirable strides in its five years of
existence,
the FNB South African Music Awards have come to represent the brightest
and
the best of the South African musical scene. As the ceremony celebrates
it's fifth year, everybody involved is committed to making it the
biggest
and the best yet. Music is at the heart of who we South Africans are as
a
people, and as a ceremony celebrating that, the FNB South African Music
Awards will always have an indelible place on our cultural calendar.
Issued by: Marang Setshwaelo, Essential Communications
011-881-9333 (t)
011-881-9218 (f)
083-453-1772
mar...@esential.co.za
On behalf of: The Association of the South African Music Industry
(ASAMI)
--
Arts & Culture Trust of the President Award 1998
Electronic Media of the Year
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The FNB South African Music Awards.5 Years and Growing