National Arts and Culture Awards 2025: All the winners

In the Performing Arts category, musician Mphumelelo Dlamini received the Outstanding Musician Award, while Tshireletso Nkoane was named Outstanding Actor in Theatre. The award for Outstanding Theatre Production went to A Street Taxi Named Desire by Obett Motaung, with Outstanding Dance Production awarded to INGOMA by Moeketsi Koena. Poet and playwright Napo Masheane was honoured for Outstanding Poet Performance.

The Audio Visual category awarded Outstanding Documentary Film to London Recruits by Jacintha de Nobrega, and Outstanding Documentary Series to Free At Last by Xoliswa Sithole. Old Righteous Blues by Catharina Weinek received the award for Outstanding Film Fiction.

The Heritage category recognised the Freedom Park Heritage Site Museum with the Outstanding Cultural Landscape Award, while the William Humphreys Art Gallery received the Outstanding Museum Award.

In Literature, The Comrade’s Wife by Barbara Boswell won Outstanding Book, Fiction, while 100 Years of Dispossession by Lebogang Seale took Outstanding Book, Non-Fiction. Sanda Makes Some Money by Yamkela Tywakadi received Outstanding Children’s Fiction Book, and Vhakololo Press, run by Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho, was named Outstanding Publisher.

Below is the full list of winners:

Performing Arts Category

• Outstanding Musician Award – Mphumelelo Dlamini
• Outstanding Actor in Theatre – Tshireletso Nkoane
• Outstanding Theatre Production – A Street Taxi Named Desire (by Obett Motaung)
• Outstanding Dance Production – INGOMA (by Moeketsi Koena)
• Outstanding Poet Performance – Napo Masheane

Audio Visual Category

• Outstanding Documentary Film – London Recruits (by Jacintha de Nobrega)
• Outstanding Documentary Series – Free At Last (by Xoliswa Sithole)
• Outstanding Film Fiction Award – Old Righteous Blues (by Catharina Weinek)

Heritage Category

• Outstanding Cultural Landscape Award – Freedom Park Heritage Site Museum
• Outstanding Museum Award – William Humphreys Art Gallery

Literature Category

• Outstanding Book, Fiction Award – The Comrade’s Wife (by Barbara Boswell)
• Outstanding Book, Non-Fiction Award – 100 Years of Dispossession (by Lebogang Seale)
• Outstanding Children’s Fiction Book – Sanda Makes Some Money (by Yamkela Tywakadi)
• Outstanding Publisher Award – Vhakololo Press (Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho)

Design Category

• Outstanding Architecture/Interior Designer – Asher Zachary Marcus
• Outstanding Fashion/Textile Designer – Mzukisi Mbane 

Visual Arts Category

• Outstanding Crafter Award – Majolandile Samuel Dyalvane
• Outstanding Curator Award – Nontobeko Ntombela
• Outstanding Visual Artist Award – Malebogo Naticia Molokoane