Call for entries: South African Popular Music Awards

The event will run under the hashtag #Popular and seeks to celebrate creatives in the music industry who believe that they have been overlooked by the sector. No entry fee is required, and interested artists should submit their entries via the SAPMAs official website.

The submission deadline is 25 April.

“The aim of the first annual awards ceremony is to celebrate 10 years of great and popular music,” SAPMAs head of communications Mathawe Matsapola said. “Music that still speaks to our people and will continue to speak for the voiceless, while shaping our cultural identity as a nation. Anyone is eligible to submit entries from artists, record companies and the public at large can submit a name and song of their favourite artist.

"We, therefore, call on the public, artists and record labels to submit entries. In order to qualify, a song or album must have been released between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020. SAPMAs do not believe in having a complicated submission process for entrants, the purpose is to make this platform easily accessible and for deserving artists and their music to be recognised and celebrated.”

General rules

• Singles and albums commercially released in South Africa during the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020 are eligible for entries. No entry will be considered if it falls outside the stipulated period.
• All decisions with respect to the acceptance of any entry and the eligibility of entries are made by SAPMA and shall be final and binding upon all entrants.
• By entering/being entered into the SAPMAs, individuals/groups agree to abide by the SAPMAs rules and any other rights.
• Entrants, individuals or groups nominated as finalists in any category, and record companies warrant the SAPMAs the right to use their names, images, sound recordings or any part thereof of the single or album entered in the awards, and biographical details for purposes of marketing, advertising, filming, broadcasting and digital streaming of the awards, before and after the awards event.

Below is the full list of SAPMA categories:

• Best SAPMA Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Album of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Afro Duo/Group of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Popular Afro Song of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Gospel Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Female Gospel Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Male Gospel Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Popular Gospel Song of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Female Artist of the Decade 
• Best SAPMA Male Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Popular Maskandi/Mbaqanga Song of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Hip Hop Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Female Hip Hop Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Hip Hop Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Popular Hip Hop Song of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Male Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Female Artist of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Collaboration of the Decade
• Best SAPMA Popular Dance Song of the Decade
• SAPMA Chairman’s Award
• SAPMA Social Leadership Award
• SAPMA Lifetime Achievement Award
• SAPMA Special Legend Award
• Best SAPMA Gospel Radio Show
• Best SAPMA Traditional Music Radio Show