Munghana Lonene FM awards: Who will win?

     Music

The nominees in the 14th edition of the Munghana Lonene FM Xitsonga Music Awards will this year battle it out in 11 highly-contested categories.

The main award ceremony, which is more of a music festival, will be held on Saturday eventing at the Giyani Stadium.

In the Dr Thomas Chauke Artist of the Year category, at least four talented artists are pitted against one another. They are General Muzka, Eckson Maluleke, Sunglen Tshabalala and Forget Makhahlela.

The radio station will also hand out four special recognition awards during a gala dinner event, which will be held tonight at the Giyani Community Hall. A posthumous award will go to the late Mbhazima Wilson Mathebula (aka Mararaza). The legendary Alpheus Maluleke will receive the Living Legend Award, while the Life Achievement Awards will be bestowed on GS Chauke na Xivhalo Queens. The group Revolution will also be honoured with The Companion of Xitsonga Music Award for their continued support in building the Xitsonga language, heritage and culture through their music.

“These awards continue to play a very serious role in improving the Xitsonga music offering and have inspired our musicians to up their game in producing good quality music,” said Munghana Lonene FM's station manager, Mr Lawrence Ubisi.

Munghana Lonene FM's marketing manager Ms Vongi Nkanyane, said that leading the pack with three nominations each this year are General Muzka, Sunglen Tshabalala, Themba Nyathi, Tirhani Mabasa, Forget Makhahlele and Eckson Maluleke. They are followed by Makhongela, Brian Bomba na The Grace Band with two nominations each.

Tirhani Mabasa is making waves as she features on the Best New Comer category while also battling it out for the Best Xitsonga Female Artist of the Year, a category which features Sunglen Tshabalala, Florah N’wa-Chauke, Mhani Agnes Baloyi, Nurse and Tirhani Mabasa.

Tirhani also faces tough competition as the Most popular song of the year category contender, with her hit song Ben 10, battling hits such as Nyoresh, Mbilu Ya Mina, Xipapilana, Khanimamba, Suduwele, Wa Mina, Do like I do, Ha ku khensa Yehova, and Hanyelo ra Faro part 2.

The 33129 SMS line was officially unveiled as the voting line for Best Xitsonga Most Popular Song of the Year. This category will be decided by the station's listeners' votes.

An experienced panel of judges will be appointed to adjudicate in the rest of the categories overseen by the SABC auditors.

Tickets are available at Computicket nationwide. They are available at R120, R200 (golden circle), and VIP ticket costs R500.

Entertainment - Date: 24 March 2017

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]