Nkangala District Executive Mayor - Thomas Ngwenya
The Nkangala District Municipality officially launched the Nkangala Arts and Music Awards (NkAMA) on , July 7, bringing together artists, community leaders and stakeholders from the music, sports and fine arts sectors in a shared commitment to developing local talent.
The initiative, launched by the Highveld Chronicle in partnership with the Nkangala District Municipality, is a district-wide platform aimed at recognising, promoting and supporting artists from all six local municipalities within the district.
Delivering the keynote address, Nkangala District Executive Mayor, Cllr Thomas Ngwenya, described NkAMA as a long-awaited initiative that will help unlock opportunities for creatives.
“We have been waiting for years for a platform that recognises and supports talent in society. I am glad to say that NkAMA is that platform,” said Ngwenya.
He stressed the importance of recognising artists, saying they preserve the identity and history of communities.
“A society that does not recognise its artists is a society that agrees to lose its memory.”
Ngwenya encouraged young people to use their talents to improve their lives and contribute to their communities.
“Artists are not entertainers only. They are historians, teachers, healers, social commentators, nation builders, and they give soul to the masses of our people,” he said.
The mayor also appealed to the business community to invest in the district’s creative sector by sponsoring, mentoring and creating opportunities for emerging artists.
“To our business community, I call on you to walk with us. Support these young artists. Sponsor them, mentor them and create opportunities for them. When we support our artists, we are building jobs, strengthening the economy and enriching the soul of Nkangala.”
Highveld Chronicle co-founder and CEO Mfanuzile Dlakude said the awards were established in response to requests from local artists who wanted greater exposure.
“This initiative started after we received numerous requests from artists across the six local municipalities who wanted to be profiled and featured in the paper. There is massive talent in Nkangala. We want to make sure that we give a platform to those talented individuals in the district,” said Dlakude.
Highveld Chronicle Business Strategist Mulawu Mathye highlighted the role of the creative industry in economic development.
“We launched today for one purpose: to demonstrate that talent puts food on the table,” he said.
As part of the build-up to the awards, NkAMA will host district-wide sports activation events featuring soccer and netball tournaments, while providing artists with opportunities to showcase their work in each municipality.
The activation programme will take place in Thembisile Hani on July 11, Dr JS Moroka on July 25, eMalahleni on August 2, Victor Khanye on August 9, Steve Tshwete on August 16 and Emakhazeni on August 23.
Entries remain open for artists in the music, visual arts and performing arts categories from all six local municipalities. Registered participants will receive unique voting codes that members of the public can use to vote for their favourite artists.
Winners will be honoured during the NkAMA Gala Dinner on September 11, followed by the main awards ceremony on September 12 in Middelburg.
Dlakude said NkAMA is intended to be more than an annual awards event.
“NkAMA is an empowerment platform that will continue creating opportunities throughout the year for registered artists and for participants who attended the information-sharing workshops held across all six local municipalities in the build-up to the launch.”
Artist registrations close on July 15, 2026.
