AFRICA’S premier music industry event, the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition would like to congratulate the nominees for the 18th MTN South African Music Awards (SAMAs), whose efforts will be duly acknowledged as part of the local music industry’s biggest night on April 29 and 30 at Sun City’s Superbowl.

The SAMAs were conceptualised to be the music industry’s manner of recognising accomplishments by various music professionals who made a lasting and meaningful contribution to the South African recording industry.

The awards’ aim reinforces Moshito’s vision, which is to broaden the business intelligence of music industry professionals locally and throughout the African continent, and therefore strengthening business networks for participants and informing delegates, traders and the public about the multifaceted and dynamic nature of the global music industry.

“It is exhilarating to witness the art of music in South Africa continually being elevated to greater heights,” says King Phatudi-Mphahlele, Chairperson of Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition.

“We are thoroughly impressed to note that so many of our music industry’s young people have been nominated in esteemed categories such as Best Producer and Engineer. We also hope to see our peers at Moshito 2012, which will take place on September 5-7 in Johannesburg’s Newtown District,” he adds.

In its eighth year as an influential stakeholder in the music industry, Moshito congratulates the SAMAs’ frontrunner Zahara, who has garnered seven nominations for her album Loliwe. She is closely followed by Mi Casa, who have been nominated five times for their debut album Mi Casa Music.

KwaZulu-Natal’s newcomer Zakwe, has also been nominated five times for his self-titled debut album, but it will also have to compete with Zonke’s Ina Ethe, which is up for three awards, along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Songs From The Farms. Not to be outdone, Cape Town’s Goodluck also cracked three nods for their self-titled album.

The Shadowclub’s Guns and Money, the Charl du Plessis Trio’s Shangai Brunch and Jimmy Dludlu’s Tonota also form part of the prolific artists and offerings, proving that South Africa is bursting at the seams with an array of music styles and genres that cater for everyone.

Way after the champagne has been popped, the SAMAs will continue to celebrate the various organisations that were formed in response to the pressing issues that are faced by the industry as a whole. By spearheading these stakeholders, Moshito is playing a critical role in addressing issues such as piracy, the need to develop music markets for South African music (especially beyond the country’s borders) and the urgent need to create a social benefit programme for musicians.

The 18th South African Music Awards are a stellar line-up of artists and individuals who have made it their life to showcase only the best that this country has to offer, and just like it has demonstrated in the last eight years, the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition continues to extend a helping hand by providing key insight and being the most crucial contributor to the music industry.