All eyes are on Durban as it hosts South Africa’s biggest night in music, the Metro FM Music Awards, at the Durban ICC on Saturday evening.
The annual awards will see more than 100 artists competing across over 20 categories, celebrating excellence in the local music industry.
Media personalities Lerato Kganyago and Lawrence Maleka will host the main awards ceremony, while Lamiez Holworthy will lead the Black Carpet. A separate festival component will be hosted by Somizi Mhlongo and Hope Mbhele.
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Amapiano is expected to dominate this year’s ceremony, with leading artists including Kabza De Small, Sam Deep and Mawhoo securing multiple nominations.
Production duo Jazzworx and Thukuthela lead the nominations list, each earning seven nods ahead of the awards night.
Organisers have also introduced new categories this year, including Best Maskandi and Best Lekompo, in a move aimed at recognising a broader range of South African music genres.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) awarded a three-year contract for the event’s management, production and live broadcast to Dzinge Productions (Pty) Ltd. The contract, valued at just over R105 million, runs from March 2026 until June 2028 and covers the hosting of the awards in Durban.
Voting in key public categories including Song of the Year has already closed, with winners set to be decided through a combination of public votes and industry judging panels.
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Viewers will be able to watch the ceremony live on SABC 1 or stream it on SABC Plus.
The Black Carpet is scheduled to begin at 7.30pm, followed by the main awards ceremony at 8pm.