Music Business Awards Africa to unveil inaugural nominees
JOHANNESBURG: The newly established Music Business Awards Africa (MBAA) is set to unveil its inaugural nominees next week as it turns the spotlight on the professionals and organisations working behind the scenes to build Africa’s music industry.
The nominees will be announced on Wednesday, (September 23) at a Mercedes-Benz Motus facility in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, under the theme “Honouring the Music Industry Invisibles.”
The awards seek to recognise the often-overlooked business infrastructure supporting artists, including managers, A&R professionals, publishers, lawyers, public relations and marketing agencies, record labels, educators and other industry professionals.
Founder Gift Mdlalose said the initiative was created after years of seeing artists receive recognition while the professionals responsible for building and sustaining their careers remained largely outside the public spotlight.
“For years, I’ve watched the music industry celebrate what audiences see on stage, while many of the people responsible for building those careers remain largely invisible,” Mdlalose said.
He said managers, A&Rs, publishers, lawyers, PR professionals, booking agents, educators and music companies were critical to the success of the wider music ecosystem.
“The Music Business Awards Africa was created to give that side of the industry its own credible platform for recognition,” he said.
The inaugural categories include Best A&R Manager, Best Artist Manager, Best Commercial Songwriter, Best Artist Digital Presence, Commercial Artist Enterprise, Best Independent Record Label, Best Independent Music Publisher, Best Artist Management Company, Best Music PR & Marketing Agency, Best Music Law Firm, Best Live Events Production Company, Best Music Licensee and Best Independent Music Education Institution.
Mdlalose said the awards would use an evidence-based adjudication process, with entrants required to provide supporting information such as streaming data, sales figures, royalty statements, campaign results and evidence of industry impact.
He said the approach was intended to ensure that recognition was based on demonstrated work and impact rather than popularity or public profile.
“We are very deliberate about this: the Music Business Awards Africa is data-driven and business-centred,” Mdlalose said.
The adjudication process is being led by an independent Expert Council, supported by an Advisory Board chaired by Adv. Ntsietso Mokitimi-Makhofola, Head of Legal at SAMPRA.
The Advisory Board includes Dr Syleecia Thompson of National University in the United States and Dr Chinedu Angus Chukwuji.
The Expert Council is chaired by Vuyisile Mshudulu, Director of Arts, Culture and Heritage at the City of Johannesburg, and includes Nobambo Goduka, General Manager at SAMRO, and Kabelo Moremi, Commissioning Editor at CANAL+.
The September 23 event will also feature a Music Business Network A&R and Showcase, providing emerging music creators with an opportunity to present their work to industry decision-makers.
Multi-platinum-selling artist Mthunzi is among the performers expected to take the stage during the evening.
According to Mdlalose, the awards are intended to contribute to a broader shift in how success within Africa’s music economy is understood and recognised.
He said young people should eventually know the names of prominent African managers, A&Rs, publishers, executives and music entrepreneurs just as they know the artists they represent.
“Recognition creates visibility, and visibility can create opportunities, investment and stronger career pathways,” he said.
Mdlalose also believes the awards could help increase international visibility for African music-business professionals as the continent’s music continues to reach global audiences.
He said international companies and institutions should be able to discover African executives, managers, publishers, agencies and entrepreneurs, rather than focusing exclusively on artists.
The MBAA grew out of Mdlalose’s previous work in music education and industry development, including the establishment of the Music Business Academy Southern Africa and the Music Business Network.
He said these platforms exposed him to professionals whose work was making a significant contribution to the industry but was not receiving sufficient recognition.
Mdlalose studied and graduated in Music Technology and later expanded his work into music-business education, networking, publishing, artist and catalogue development and partnerships with corporate institutions.
He has also authored a music-business book and received recognition from Forbes.
For Mdlalose, however, the awards are intended to become more than an annual ceremony.
“The Music Business Awards Africa brings all those experiences together,” he said.
“For me, it is bigger than creating another awards ceremony. It is about building an institution that recognises the business of African music and, ultimately, belongs to the industry rather than to its founder.” He added
The inaugural Music Business Awards Africa ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, 2026, when winners in the various categories will be announced and honoured.
The nominees’ announcement will take place at 7pm on September 23 and is strictly by invitation.
