Every year, post the glamorous evening and the prestigious event is said and done. While others are celebrating their botched triumphs and others basking is what could be viewed as cheated misery. I will not speak for any other genre because I don’t participate, contribute or consume them.

I will jump straight into the South African Hip hop avenue because it is where I live and die musically. Now let me be cynical, allow! In what world do you reward the direct competition of the guy who proved beyond reasonable doubt that music requires no infrastructure and big offices behind it or famous friends doing cameo roles for credibility to break the mould and create new platforms and audiences? What world? Cassper went the unconventional route when it came to distributing his music, radio and TV are obvious picks but, at a time when the internet was underestimated and not recognized a viable medium in the South African market he chose this platform because as a young man he best understood where his peers where tuned in.

This particular article is based on the credibility of the SAMAs with regards to youth, how many times have you specifically questioned the integrity of the panel used to measure youth orientated categories like kwaito and Hip hop in the past? How many times have they got it wrong when it comes to hip hop, remember when they awarded Zwai Bala with Best Rap album back in 2001? Hilarious!

Cassper Nyovest has proved against all odds that hard work and dedication without the backing of major labels and execs can still attain superstar status through the new media mediums, which he has capitalised on immensely. But riddle me this? If the public out right voted you the best artist in one of the country’s biggest radio stations’ award ceremonies and then again the continents biggest music channel’s award contention.

I’ve had the opportunity of watching Cassper & his counterparts perform across the country, from the biggest concerts and shows to the fairly minimal. Who can discredit the fact that he had the best run of his counterparts, from the quality of the performances to the number of sales achieved, now digital sales can be tricky to consolidate but physical sales/hard copy is measurable all thanks to our friends at RISA.

Hard copy sales have been on a steady decline since the rise of the fast internet and product incentives such as BIS, LOL! It is fair to say that if one can break through in CD sales, then that success is truly undeniable and convincing, many were doubtful, sighting Doc Shebeleza as a one hit wonder type of song, Gusheshe just a street anthem for hoodlums who don’t support the culture or the artist, was this point of view true? No!

How do we know this because today Cassper’s album is the best selling hip hop album since 2005, that’s a solid decade? But the esteemed panel of judges back at the South African Music Awards headquarters do not deem that artist as the best of the year, the country’s biggest hit single just didn’t cut it as song of the year and the people champ’s not the best artist of the year, we all saw the come up kid, fast pace ahead of his mentors and competition, we saw independents coin it, with no accredited business acumen of the highest levels but with honesty through music, which undoubtedly resonates with the people.

I think every winner on the night as you will see in the list below deserved the sweet fruits of their labour but I think a letter to Cassper to say we just didn’t have enough categories or accolades to include your “KIND” of success in the past year, should have typed out and hand delivered to him with a hefty severance cheque as consolation because Cassper Nyovest was sidelined at these particular awards, it is not clear if agendas were being pushed or whatsoever but we can be sure that human errors are definitely in question.

I’m just asking the questions here, how credible are the SAMAs to us young people?

Here are your winners for this year’s SAMA XXL :

album of the Year: Beatenberg – The Hanging Gardens Of Beatenberg

Male Artist of the Year: AKA – Levels

Female Artist of the Year: Bucie – Princess of House (Easy To Love)

Duo / Group of the Year: Beatenberg – The Hanging Gardens Of Beatenberg

Newcomer of the Year: Cassper Nyovest – Tsholofelo

Lifetime Achievement Awards: Zim Nqawana | Mdu Masilela | Mandla ‘Spikiri’ Mofokeng

Best Rap Album: K.O – Skhanda Republic

Best Rock Album: aKing – Morning After

International Achievement Award: Wouter Kellerman

Best Traditional Faith Album: S’fiso Ncwane – Bayede Baba

Best Pop Album: Beatenberg – The Hanging Gardens Of Beatenberg

Best Pop Album (Afrikaans): Riana Nel – Die Regte Tyd

Best Kwaito Album: Professor – University of Kalawa Jazmee Since 1994

Best Dance Album: Black Motion – Fortune Teller

Best Selling Album: Riana Nel – Die Regte Tyd

Highest Airplay of the Year: DJ Clock feat. Beatenberg – Pluto (Remember You)

Best Selling Full Track Download: DJ Clock feat. Beatenberg – Pluto (Remember You)

Best Selling Ring-Back Tone: DJ Clock feat. Beatenberg – Pluto (Remember You)

Best Selling DVD: Joyous Celebration – Vol 18. One Purpose

Best Remix of the Year: Indlela Yam – DJ Sbu, Robbie Malinga & Mojalefa Thebe

Best Engineer of the Year: Brian O’Shea, Crighton Goodwill & Marius Brouwer for Johnny Apple

Best Producer of the Year: Wouter Kellerman and Ricky Kej for Winds of Samsara

Best Music Video of the Year: Prime Circle – Let The Night In (directed by Ryan Kruger)

Best Collaboration: K.O feat Kid X – Caracara

Best Live DVD: Lira – First Decade

Best Classical and/or Instrumental Album: Wouter Kellerman – Winds of Samsara

Best Jazz Album: McCoy Mrubata – Brasskap Sessions Volume 2

Best Maskandi Album: Thokozani Langa – Igema Lami

Best Traditional Music Album: Botlhale Boikanyo – Spoken Word and Music

Best Contemporary Faith Music Album: Loyiso Bala – Power Love Sound

Best RnB / Soul / Reggae Album: Afrotraction – For The Lovers

Best Alternative Album: Bittereinder – Skerm

Best African Adult Album: Maleh – You Make Heart Go

Beste Contemporere Musiek Album: Dewald Wasserfall – #EkenJy

Best Adult Contemporary Album: Niemand – Back Again

The final award of the night, as voted by the fans: K.O is the public’s Artist of the Year

I also included this video to prove that awards may lie, you and I may lie too but, numbers don’t: