SA Amapiano Awards 2023 nominees: Kabza De Small leads with 9 nods

The second annual South African Amapiano Awards are back with a brand-new sponsor and host on board.

Scheduled to place at Sun Arena in Pretoria on April 2, this year’s edition will be hosted by Robot Boii, while South Africa’s premium sneaker brand, Bathu have come on board as the awards’ principal sponsor.

The nominations for the 2023 were recently announced at an exclusive gathering in Fourways, Johannesburg, and not surprisingly, Kabza De Small leads the pack with nine nominations, with four of his top-charting songs dominating the ‘Song of the Year’ category.

He is followed closely by Young Stunner and Toss with eight nominations, including ‘Best Amapiano Lyricist’ and ‘Best Amapiano Newcomer’. 

Next is Uncle Waffles with seven nods, followed by Kelvin Momo, Daliwonga, and Focalistic with six nominations each.

First-time nominees include some of the most celebrated and chart-topping artists right now in South Africa, namely Le Tee, Pabi Cooper and Nkosazana Daughter.

Commenting on their partnership for the 2023 edition of the South African Amapiano Awards, managing director of Bathu, said: “We are so proud to integrate the South African Amapiano Awards into our mission to help people walk the journey to their desired success. Bathu stimulates pop-cultural conversations every year through the power of helping South Africans walk their journey with our products.”

South African Amapiano Awards: nominee list, voting, ticket pricing and more!

Members of the public can now vote for their favourite nominee through SMS Codes when voting from South Africa. For those voting outside of South Africa, this can be done through the new SA Amapiano Awards official app, the Yanoverse Amapiano Cloud, which will be available to download from Google Play and the App Store from Friday, March 17.

Tickets for the awards ceremony are available at Computicket and will be priced from R250 per person.

Below is a complete list of nominees:

Best Amapiano street dancer

▪️Chad Jones & Family

▪️Soweto’s Finest

▪️Hope Ramafalo & Hlogi Mash (House Of H&H)

▪️Kananelo & Tlhogi

▪️Thee Buhle

Best Amapiano Online DJ / Performance Platform

▪️Balcony Mix – Major League DJz

▪️Black Music – Mr Jazziq

▪️Groove Cartel – Groove Cartel

▪️Mordecai – DJ Mordecai

▪️Pianocast – Stanky DeeJay

Best Amapiano Artist Manager

▪️Coby for DBN Gogo

▪️Dada Archie for Amaroto

▪️Kreative Korner for Uncle Waffles

▪️Thuli for Blaqboy Music & Piano Hub

▪️Tshiamo for Musa Keys

Best Amapiano Festive Hit

▪️Ba Straata by DJ Maphorisa & Visca feat. Stompiiey, ShaunMusiq, Ftears, Madumane & 2woshort 3

▪️Tobetsa by Myztro, ShaunMusiq & Ftears

▪️Zotata by Pcee, Justin99 & EeQue ft. Mr Jazziq

▪️Nkantini by Mac G & Sir Trill feat. Bailey & EmjayKeyz

▪️Stimela by 2 Point 1 ft. Ntate Stunna & Nthabi Sings

Best Amapiano Breakthrough Act

▪️Q-Mark & Tipzee

▪️Myztro

▪️Ch’cco

▪️Toss, Mdoovar & 9umba

▪️Khanyisa Jaceni

Best Amapiano Dance Act

▪️Bontle Smith

▪️Kamo Mphela

▪️Lady Du

▪️Pabi Cooper

▪️Robot Boii

Friends Of Amapiano

▪️Ami Faku

▪️Asake

▪️Beast

▪️Cassper Nyovest

▪️Davido

▪️Dladla Mshunqisi

▪️Mac Gee

▪️Msaki

▪️Vetkuk & Mahoota

▪️WizKid

Best Amapiano Private School Act

▪️Gaba Cannal

▪️DJ Jaivaine

▪️Kelvin Momo

▪️Mdu AKA TRP

▪️DJ Stokie

Best Amapiano Music Video

▪️Tanzania by Uncle Waffles & Tony Duardo feat. Sino Msolo & BoiBizza

▪️Big Flexa by Costa Tich feat. C’Buda M, Alfa Kat, Banaba Des, Sdida & Man T

▪️Izolo by DJ Maphorisa & Tyler ICU, Tyler ICU, Visca

▪️Selema by Musa Keys & Loui

▪️Umlando by Toss, Mdoovar & 9umba feat. Sir Trill, Sino Msolo, Lady Du, Young Stunna & Slade

Best Amapiano Styled Artist

▪️Focalistic

▪️Kamo Mphela

▪️Major League DJz

▪️Musa Keys

▪️Uncle Waffles

Best Amapiano Collaboration

▪️Asibe Happy by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Ami Faku

▪️Iy’ntsimbi Zase Envy by Amaroto ft. Busta 929, Beast, & Dladla Mshunqisi

▪️Khusela by Kabza De Small ft. Msaki

▪️Ngixolele by Busta 929 ft. Boohle

▪️Siyathandana by Cassper Nyovest ft. Boohle & Abidoza

Best Amapiano Album / EP

▪️Agape by Gaba Cannal

▪️Ivy League by Kelvin Momo

▪️King Of Amapiano 2 by Kabza De Small

▪️Notumato by Young Stunna

▪️Authi ‘eSharp by Mas Musiq

Most Viral Amapiano Song Of the Year

▪️Ameno Amapiano Remix (You Wanna Bamba) by Goya Menor & Nektunez

▪️Hamba Wena by Deep London & Boohle

▪️Nkao Tempela by Ch’cco and Mellow & Sleazy

▪️Salary Salary by Robot Boii, Mellow & Sleazy & Soul Revolver feat. Shaun MusiQ & Teearse

▪️Umlando by Toss, Mdoovar & 9umba feat. Sir Trill, Sino Msolo, Lady Du, Young Stunna & Slade

Best Amapiano Newcomer

▪️Felo Le Tee

▪️Pabi Cooper

▪️Toss

▪️Uncle Waffles

▪️Young Stunna

Best Amapiano Produced Song

▪️66 by Felo Le Tee & Myztro

▪️Ivy league by Kelvin Momo ft. Ch’cco, Yumbs, TaSkipper & Tlholo

▪️Izolo by DJ Maphorisa & Tyler ICU feat. Madumane, Mpura, Daliwonga & Visca 4

▪️Healer Nhliziyo by Gaba Cannal & George Lesley ft. Russell Zuma

▪️Khusela by Kabza De Small ft. Msaki

Best Amapiano On Stage Perfomance

▪️Daliwonga

▪️Focalistic

▪️Kamo Mphela

▪️Musa Keys

▪️Toss

Best South African Amapiano International Act

▪️Focalistic

▪️Major League DJz

▪️Scorpion Kings

▪️Uncle Waffles

▪️Vigro Deep

Best Amapiano Lyricist

▪️Amaroto

▪️Focalistic

▪️Madumane

▪️Toss

▪️Young Stunna

Best Amapiano Music Producer

▪️Busta 929

▪️Kabza Da Small

▪️Kelvin Momo

▪️Mellow & Sleazy

▪️Soa Mattrix

Best Amapiano Vocalist

▪️Boohle

▪️Daliwonga

▪️MaWhoo

▪️Murumba Pitch

▪️Nkosazana Daughter

Best Amapiano Female Club

▪️DJ DBN Gogo

▪️K Mat

▪️T x C

▪️Uncle Waffles

▪️Sandy the DJ

Best Amapiano Duo / Group

▪️Amaroto

▪️Major League DJz

▪️Mellow & Sleazy

▪️Murumba Pitch

▪️Scorpion Kings

Best Amapiano Male Club DJ

▪️Kaygee The Vibe

▪️Lebza The Villian

▪️Njelic

▪️Rea Da Soul

▪️Shaun 101

Best Amapiano Female Artist

▪️DBN Gogo

▪️MaWhoo

▪️Nkosazana Daughter

▪️Pabi Cooper

▪️Uncle Waffles

Best Amapiano Male Artist

▪️Focalistic

▪️Scorpion Kings

▪️Kelvin Momo

▪️Musa Keys

▪️Young Stunna

Amapiano Artist Of The Year

▪️Felo Le Tee

▪️Focalistic

▪️Kabza Da Small

▪️Kelvin Momo

▪️DJ Maphorisa

▪️Musa Keys

▪️Pabi Cooper

▪️Toss

▪️Uncle Waffles

▪️Young Stunna

Amapiano Song Of The Year

▪️Abalele by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Ami Faku

▪️Abo Mvelo by Daliwonga ft. Mellow & Sleazy & MJ

▪️Adiwele by Young Stunna ft. Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa

▪️Asibe Happy by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Ami Faku

▪️Dipatje Tsa Felo by Felo Le Tee & Myztro feat. Daliwonga

▪️Nkao Tempela by Ch’coo & Mellow & Sleazy

▪️Izolo by DJ Maphorisa & Tyler ICU feat. Madumane, Mpura, Daliwonga & Visca

▪️Khusela by Kabza De Small ft. Msaki

▪️Mina Nawe by Soa Mattrix & Mashudu feat.Happy Jazzman & Emotionz DJ

▪️Ngixolele by Busta 929 ft. Boohle

▪️Paris by Q-Mark & TpZee ft. Afriikan Papi

▪️Sengzwile by Mas Musiq ft. Aymos & Young Stunna

▪️Siyathandana by Cassper Nyovest ft. Boohle & Abidoza

▪️Umlando by Toss, Mdoovar & 9umba

▪️Iy’ntsimbi Zase Envy by Amaroto ft. Busta 929, Beast, & Dladla Mshunqisi

For more, visit: https://www.saamapianoawards.com/