SAMA32: HLE And Kabza De Small Each Win Three Awards In Sun City

Gospel singer HLE and Amapiano producer Kabza De Small emerged as the biggest winners at the 32nd South African Music Awards (SAMA32), each walking away with three trophies from the ceremony held August 15, 2026, at the Sun City Arena, according to a full winners list published by Music In Africa.

HLE’s album “The Ground We’re On” took Best Contemporary Faith Music Album, while she also claimed the SAMPRA Album of the Year and the Lesedi FM Female Artist of the Year honors. Kabza De Small matched her tally, winning Best Amapiano Album for “Bab’Motha,” Remix of the Year, and Best Collaboration for “Abantwana Bakho,” a track he made with DJ Maphorisa, XDuppy, and a rotating cast of Amapiano collaborators.

Elsewhere on the night, South African-born global star Tyla received the International Achievement Award, capping a year in which she also released her sophomore album and set a new record on Billboard’s US Afrobeats Songs chart. Newcomer honors went to Paras “Sibalukhulu” Dlamini, Mzukulu was named Male Artist of the Year, and dance and production veteran Oskido received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Nasty C’s “Free” won Best Hip Hop Album, and jazz vocalist Mandisi Dyantyis took Best Jazz Album for “Intlambululo: Ukuhlambulula.”

The spread of winners underlines just how central Amapiano and contemporary gospel music have become to South Africa’s charts, streaming numbers, and live circuit over the past two years, even as hip hop, jazz, and pop acts continued to draw strong recognition of their own. It’s a similar genre-blending story to the one playing out with acts like Wizkid and Asake, whose joint project recently made BET Awards history on the strength of cross-genre collaboration.

SAMA32 reinforced what many in the industry already suspected heading into the ceremony: South African music is no longer competing only for domestic bragging rights, but increasingly for a seat at the global table alongside its West African counterparts.