Ofentse Ratsie

The 18th Annual MTN South African Music Awards first night focusing on technical excellence and sales proved a worthy curtain-raiser to the main ceremony taking place on Monday night, to be broadcast live from the Superbowl at 8.30pm on SABC1.

Johan van der Colff scooped the MTN SAMA for Best Engineer for Zahara’s album Loliwe, one of South African music’s sensations of 2011.  Zahara’s track Loliwe was also named Best-Selling Full Track Download of the Year, having been legally downloaded 32 441 times during the year 2011.
 
House and kwaito producer DJ Cleo notched up two trophies for his smash hit single Facebook, winning the category for Best-Selling True-Tone Download of the Year (having sold 3 520 downloads) and Best-Selling Ring-Back Tone of the Year (with a phenomenal 252 184 downloads). The controvesrial DJ hit maker, Cleo ,says nothing will stop him from manufacturing good music.
 
The winners of the MTN Best-Selling Mobile Music Download of the Year and Best-Selling Album of the Year are due to be revealed at the Monday night awards.
 
Ryan Peimer, creator of The Parlotones’ It’s Magic Music Video won the MTN SAMA for Best Video of the Year and Dan Roberts was named Best Producer for his work on Laurie Levin’s album Six Winters.
 
DJ Sbu won a SAMA for Remix of the Year for Lengoma featuring songbird Zahara.
 
The Best Live DVD award went to Simphiwe Dana for her disc An Evening with Simphiwe Dana (Live in Concert).
 
The SAMPRA Award for the Most Played Song on South African Radio in 2011 went to Liquiddeep for Alone.

The 18th Annual MTN South African Music Awards winners on Sunday Night 29 April 2012 went to the following; 

Best Producer
Dan Roberts – Six Winters by Laurie Levine
 
Best Engineer
Johan van der Colff – Loliwe by Zahara
 
Best Video of the Year
Ryan Peimer – It’s Magic by The Parlotones
 
Best Live DVD
Simphiwe Dana – An Evening with Simphiwe Dana (Live in Concert)
 
Remix of the Year
DJ Sbu – Lengoma featuring Zahara
 
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Ray Phiri and Vusi Mahlasela
 
Best Selling True-Tone Download of the Year
Facebook by DJ Cleo
 
Best Selling Ring-Back-Tone of the Year
Facebook by DJ Cleo
 
Best Selling Full-Track Download of the Year
Loliwe by Zahara
 
Most Played Song on South African Radio in 2011
Alone by Liquiddeep

Don’t miss all the MTN SAMA 18 action at the main awards ceremony on Monday, 30 April 2012, broadcast live on SABC1 at 8.30pm, or visit the official SAMA 18 digital platforms for live streaming, highlights and news.  -Ofentser@thenewage.co.za