LESS NOISE.MORE MUSIC: SAMA31 NOMINATIONS STRIKE THE RIGHT NOTE

Today, the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) officially unveils the nominees for the 2025 South African Music Awards (SAMA31), a dazzling roll call across 25 categories revealed in a high-energy virtual showcase that draws the nation into the very pulse of its music scene.

To sustain anticipation, the coveted Top Five categories remain under wraps, set to be revealed in September, ensuring the build-up to the big night stays electric.

In November 2025, the SAMA stage, long celebrated as the pinnacle of South Africa’s music calendar, returns in an evolved hybrid format, seamlessly blending the magic of a live, in-person ceremony with the reach and dynamism of a virtual broadcast.

This format expands the SAMA experience, offering fans across the globe front-row access while preserving the intimacy and grandeur of the physical event. It will be a night where artistry, rhythm, and reinvention converge in a bold reimagining of what an awards celebration can be.

“This year’s nominations form a symphony of South African sound, a playlist that celebrates not only genres, but the journeys behind them,” says Unati Gwija, SAMA Spokesperson. “It is the wisdom of age meeting the exuberance of youth, as emerging voices and established icons go head-to-head across categories.

From amapiano trailblazers to jazz virtuosos, gospel powerhouses to hip hop poets, we are living through a golden era where boundaries blur and music reigns supreme.

The SAMAs have always stood for honouring excellence, and SAMA31 is no different – it is bigger, bolder, and brimming with brilliance.”

Gwija continues, “The SAMAs are more than an awards show; they are our annual love letter to the industry. This evolved format allows us to fully embrace our theme: Less Noise.

More Music, and usher in a bold, enterprising era where digital innovation meets live spectacle. The hybrid experience is not about immersion; it’s about amplification.

It extends the SAMA stage beyond the physical venue, inviting fans, creators, and partners from every corner of the world to join in real time, without losing the intimacy and magic of being in the room.

In this way, we honour the past, celebrate the present, and set the tempo for the future of South African music. Now, for the first time, we can take the SAMAs to every province on rotation, free from budget constraints. Come November, we won’t just hand out trophies, we’ll orchestrate a celebration of sound that echoes far beyond the stage.”

With the nominations now public, fans, artists, and industry insiders are turning up the volume in anticipation of music’s biggest night in Mzansi, when careers will be crowned, milestones will be marked, and South Africa’s sonic landscape will once again take centre stage.

Backed by powerhouse partners, the Motsepe Foundation, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA), Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO), with the SABC as media partner – the SAMAs remain the gold standard of South African music, amplifying diverse voices, fuelling inclusivity across genres, and championing the nation’s vibrant music ecosystem.

“We are deeply grateful to the esteemed judges for their time, expertise, and thoughtful consideration in selecting the nominees. Their dedication to recognising musical talent is truly appreciated,” concluded Gwija.

Attached is the press release with the list of the 25 categories.