Dance Music Awards South Africa has their nominees

Dance Music Awards South Africa has their nominees

Dance Music Awards South Africa is an independent awards competition / show / event that was first announced in July.

The initiative is powered by Soul Candi who was arguably the strongest force in house music for many years as a label, before deciding to call it quits on that part of their business.

But they’ve been sitting on a massive social media database (over 400k followers) and aside from Spring Fiesta which they are heavily involved in, have probably been wondering how best to leverage their massive following, especially in the urban house music sector of the SA music market.

The danger with launching any sort of awards show is credibility – just look at how the SAMAS and Metro FM have botched theirs recently.

The negativity that surrounds DJ Mag annual Top 100 poll is also well documented.

Anyway, long story short, the first annual official Dance Music Awards South Africa could be just the shot-in-the-arm the dance music industry needs to generate a bit more hype and exposure.

Voting for artists was done online and it is an audience-voted award show which suggests that the nominees find themselves democratically on the list.

The big challenge now is to see if the industry – and by extension the fans – take this award show seriously.

You will be able to vote for these short-listed nominees online soon.

Their press release reads…

“This will be followed by public voting which will be made through the official website & social media until the 2nd October. With the fully transparent user voted award process, this gives the public the power to choose the award winners. Competition will be driven strictly by social media and online interaction, no “panel” will dictate the nominees.

“The winners will be announced at an honorary dinner on the 5th October in Johannesburg.”

Dance Music Awards South African Nominees

Smirnoff Best Male DJ

• Kyle Watson
• Chunda Munki
• DJ Shimza
• Black Coffee
• Kyle Cassim

Smirnoff Best Female DJ

• Abby Nurock
• DJ Zinhle
• Lady Lea
• SimStar
• Lady Sakhe

Best Producer

• Jazzuelle
• Black Coffee
• Kyle Watson
• Ryan Murgatroyd
• Da Capo

Best Live Act

• Goldfish
• Black Motion
• Good Luck
• Pop Art
• Mi Casa

Heineken Best Festival  

• Ultra
• Spring Fiesta
• Oppikoppi
• H20
• Rocking the Daisies

Best Music Video (From Dance Artist)

• Prince Kaybee Ft Lady Zamar – Charlotte
• Strange Loving – Changes
• TIMO ODV – Dancing Again
• Bucie Ft Black Motion – Rejoice
• Da Capo Ft Tresor – Speed of Sound

Best Male Vocalist of the Year

• Kaylow
• Timo ODV
• Apple Gule
• J’Something
• Lazarusman

Smirnoff Best Female Vocalist of the Year

• Bucie
• Lady Zamar
• Tamara Dey
• Amanda Black
• Jackie Queens

Best Record Label

• Go Go Music
• Chutney Records
• Soulistic Music
• House Afrika
• Do It Now Recordings

Compilation of The Year

• House Afrika Mzanzi 6
• Fresh House Flava 9
• Africa Get Physical
• Kyle Watson Pres. The Low End Effect
• Now Dance

Smirnoff Album of The Year

• Good Luck – Nature Within
• Jullian Gomes – Late Dreamer
• Timo ODV – Origins
• Jazzuelle – Circles
• Chunda Munki – Interference

Power Play Remix of The Year

• Tresor- Never Let Me Go (Mobi Dixion Remix)
• DeMajor feat. Lizwi – Traveller (Kususa & Quetornik Official Remix)
• Alicia Keys – In Common (Black Coffee Remix)
• Dj Ganyani ft Laila – Talk To Me (Prince Kaybee Remix)
• Dj Merlon feat. Black Coffee & Khaya Mthethwa – Reflections (Enoo Napa Remix)

Best International DJ

• Atjazz
• Lars Behrenrath
• DJ Snake
• Dash Berlin
• Alesso

Best International Producer

• Atjazz
• The Layabouts
• Stimming
• Lars Behrenroth
• Deadmau5

Heineken Best Club of The Year

• Origin
• Truth
• Electric Circus
• Shimmy Beach
• Toy Toy

Best House Record of the Year

• Jullian Gomes – 1000 Memories
• Chunda Munki – Interference
• Sir Vincent Ft Lauren – Nirvana
• DJ Thes – Man
• Kyle Watson – Solace

Best Kwaito Record of the Year

• Distruction Boyz – Madness (ft Tipcee)
• Killer Kau – Tholukuthi Hey ft Mbali
• Babes Wondumo – Wololo
• DJ Gukwa ft Tipcee, Emza & DJ Tira – Amadada
• OKMALUMKOOLKAT – GQI ft. AMADANDO

Best EDM Record of the Year

• Das Kapital – Bend It
• Evida – You Gotta
• Rocca & Martini – Sky
• Royal K – Vices
• Keystate – Calling

Power Play Best Underground Record of the Year

• Kat La Kat – Strange Signals
• Jazzuelle Ft Lazarusman – Don’t Forget Me
• Floyd Lavine – Masala
• Strange Loving – Valentino Groove
• Aero Manyelo – Mooki

Best Dance Radio Show Award

• Kyle Worde – The 411 – Touch HD
• In Das We Trust – 5FM
• The Kyle Cassim Show – 5FM
• The Players Club – Da Kruk – YFM
• The Urban Beat – Metro FM

For more information check out their Facebook page.