By Tonderai Chiyindiko
Awards within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI’s) play a key role in the recognition of talent, celebration of momentous achievements and overall vibrancy of the creative ecosystem. However, over the years in South Africa specifically there have been several controversies which have emanated from certain awards, and this has brought to light several problematic issues within the bodies which organiser and run these awards.
Whether it is the long running South African Music Awards (SAMAs) organised by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA), the Metro FM Music Awards organised by Metro FM, the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) or the recently minted National Film and Televisions Awards (NFTAs) organised by a new entity called the National Film Academy, the role and importance of awards is not in question but rather whether these and other not mentioned are all necessary and what their real value is for the artist or creative who receives them.
Rapper, Priddy Ugly, SAMA 2024 Best Hip Hop Album Award Winner Photo : Veli Nhlapo/timeslive.co.za
For Dr. Munyaradzi Chatikobo, a Cultural Policy and Management (CPM) Academic, Lecturer and Researcher at Wits University, the proliferation of awards within the CCI’s is both a good and a not-so-good thing if certain aspects around how awards are organised and run are not given due attention.
“Safeguarding the integrity of major South African cultural and creative industry awards—such as the SAMAs, SAFTAs, and Naledi Awards—requires a deliberate strengthening of governance, transparency, and accountability mechanisms…award bodies must adopt clear, publicly accessible criteria and ensure that adjudication processes are independently overseen to minimise perceptions of bias, gatekeeping, or political interference.”, says Dr. Chatikobo.
Dr Munyaradzi Chatikobo Photo: Lebohang Benley
For Mzantsi Jazz Awards Founder, Dr. Mongezi Makhalima, the public controversies which international awards such as the Grammys have faced has meant that as organisers of the premiere jazz awards in South Africa, they have had to create internal mechanisms to anticipate and mitigate such problems before they occur.
“After the recent challenges with the Grammy’s, it has become even more important to ensure the integrity of the awards – one of the ways is to keep auditable processes internally to ensure we’re able to explain why certain people are recognised. But most important it’s making sure we use explicit criteria that is applied across all relevant categories. So, the judges or the public don’t have to thumb suck who they appreciate or recognize”, says Dr. Makhalima.
Dr. Mongezi Makhalima Photo: Supplied
What is clear is that for awards to continue being relevant and for them not to lose efficacy, key industry stakeholders must be involved in various aspects so that there is a sense of collective ownership which will ensure that the credibility of awards is guarded as it is one of the most sacrosanct aspects.
Dr. Munyaradzi Chatikobo shares some ideas on how awards can maintain their integrity in the face of greater scrutiny which to some degree has been justified though at other times seems to have been engineered by disgruntled artists and creatives who would have felt entitled to winning certain awards.
“Additionally, integrating periodic external audits, stakeholder consultations, and transparent reporting on decision-making can promote credibility and sector-wide confidence. Ultimately, protecting the integrity of these awards is not only a governance issue but a cultural policy imperative, essential for supporting fair recognition, industry morale, and the sustainability of South Africa’s creative ecosystems”, says Dr. Chatikobo.
What is also important is that awards are ‘future-proofed’, and how that looks like is open to debate by the various stakeholders. “I don’t know if it’s possible to future proof the awards, since the future is not known – but having mechanisms that are driven by our (Mzantsi Jazz Awards) original intention: To be the symbol of excellence in jazz worldwide, will make sure we’re here to respond to the world as it changes to fulfil this intention”, says Dr. Makhalima.
Thus, what we see then is that there is no shortage of awards in the South African cultural and creative ecosystem, but rather a proliferation or oversupply which if unchecked could lead to the overall devaluation of the meaning and impact of these awards. What is suggested is not regulation but closer cooperation between CCI’s ecosystem players to streamline, strengthen and ensure that the awards which exist are embraced and supported by both government and the private sector. The vibrancy of the South African CCI’s ecosystem will not be judged by how many awards exist within it but by the tangible and transformative impact the awards have on those artists and creatives who receive them.
Recognition is important — but it must be matched by long-term commitment. If we are to build a thriving creative economy, awards systems must be backed by tangible public investment, robust infrastructure, and policies that treat the arts as essential, not ornamental. This is why sustained advocacy — such as CfCA’s call for at least 1% of national budgets to go to culture — remains critical. Because excellence deserves more than applause; it deserves real support.
Editor’s Note
Tonderai Chiyindiko is an experienced arts manager, researcher, and writer from Zimbabwe, with over 15 years of experience contributing to local and international platforms. His work focuses on cultural entrepreneurship, leadership, and policy advocacy across Africa’s creative and cultural industries.
In this article, Tonderai interrogates the credibility crisis facing cultural and creative industry (CCI) awards in South Africa, particularly in light of public controversies and governance concerns surrounding the SAMAs, SAFTAs, and other major platforms. Drawing on expert voices and sector insights, he calls for greater transparency, accountability, and collaboration in how awards are designed, judged, and valued.
