The South African Metal Music Awards (SAMMAs) have been a source of constant conversation and controversy over 2 years since their inception. The 2016 awards are their third, and most professionally conducted yet, with more of their procedures and decisions being laid open for further scrutiny, as they should be.
This year’s award ceremony will be held at Rumours Lounge on the 11th of June 2016, and the nominations are currently up for voting at https://surl.im/WR4M
Since their inception in 2014 by Musa Mntambo and Brandon Bernardo from the SA band 11th Hour, the awards have stirred both musicians and the public to fever pitch. As with many new ventures, there have been teething problems. The issue with having a concept which relies on publicity is that it is fully open to criticism, and every small issue is pushed kicking and screaming into the light. Although the SAMMAs have had a hard upward battle, their creators have not allowed them to merely fade into the background, but have made sure that each and every year their credibility becomes better, and their processes become more transparent.
This year M4A (http://www.metalforafrica.com) has offered to serve as an independent observer, lending an outside viewpoint to all that occurs,
especially with regards the selection and nominations processes. The entire breakdown of who and what goes on behind the scenes can be found on the M4A web site, at the following link: https://surl.im/Oil2. Although the awards are not yet at the point of being being beyond reproach, they are definitely on the right track, and are certainly helping to bring new and existing bands out of the shadows, to where the public can find them. It is necessary to note that the nature of awards are exclusive, and choosing one thing over another, will always cause conflict in come way, but the SAMMAs serve to highlight artists and events that came to the forefront during the previous year, providing a snapshot in time, rather than acclaim for lifetime achievements.
Bands that have been honoured through these nominations and awards in previous years include Carnival Carnage, Boargazm (who return this year in several categories), Adorned In Ash and Wildernessking, to name a few.
There are plenty of categories, and although they are still refining the definitions of certain genres, but this is notoriously difficult as most bands rarely see themselves as a pure embodiment of a single genre anymore.
This year there is a nice spread of bands, songs and events to choose from. Here are a few of the nominees, with links to their music and vids. Please make sure to visit the voting page and lend your voice to this cause.
Best Video Nominees:
Adorned In Ash; Deity’s Muse; Facing The Gallows; Lesuth; Peasant; Raptorbaby; Set For The Sky, and; The Drift.
Best Album Nominees:
Infanteria; Man As Machine; Spectral Realm; Subvers; The Drift; Vulvodynia; Wargrave, and; Zombies Ate My Girlfriend.
Best EP Nominees:
Animus Fall; Atlantic South; Ohgod; Peasant; Take Hand; The Overmind, and; Zero Stroke.
Best Single Nominees:
Facing The Gallows; Goat Throne; Imperial Destruction; Infanteria; Megalodon; Raptorbaby; Red Helen; Set For The Sky; Subject To Slaughter; The Drift, Tweak; Wargrave, and; Zombies Ate My Girlfriend.
Check out the categories for Best Metal Event, Best Live Act, Best Newcomer, Best Death Metal, Best Black Metal, Best Thrash Metal, Best Core Metal and Best Alternative Metal
Article by: Di (more from Di)
Shots fired by: Sammy SF (more from Sammy)
(more images from the SAMMA’s 2015)
Date: 13 May 2016
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