South African Music Awards (SAMAs) are awarded in a series of categories, each of which isolate a specific contribution to music. The standard awards list nominees in each category from which a winner is selected. SAMA categories have been added and removed over time.

Special

There are special awards which are awarded without nominations, typically for achievements of longer than the past year, which the standard awards apply to:

• Lifetime Achievement Award is a Special Merit Award presented to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.
• International Achievement is a Special Merit Award presented to performers who, during their musical careers, have achieved notable international success.

Top 5

The Top 5 are standard awards for musical works which does not restrict nominees by genre, but may do so by some other criteria:

• Album of the Year
  South African Music Award for Album of the Year
  - 2000s :...
  
   is awarded to the performer and the production team of an album.
• Group or Duo of the Year
  South African Music Award for Group or Duo of the Year
  - 1990s :- 2000s :...
  
   is awarded to a group or duo with reference to an album.
• Newcomer of the Year is awarded to an artist with reference to an album.
• Female Artist of the Year is awarded to a female artist with reference to an album.
• Male Artist of the Year is awarded to a male artist with reference to an album.

Afrikaans

• Best Afrikaans Traditional Music Album
• Best Adult Contemporary Album: Afrikaans
• Best Afrikaans Gospel Album
• Best Kiddies Album: Afrikaans
• Best Country Music Album
• Best Rock Album: Afrikaans
• Best Alternative Music Album: Afrikaans
• Best Pop Album: Afrikaans
• Best Sokkie Dans Album
• Best Afrikaans DVD

Global Charts

• Best Adult Contemporary Album: English
• Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
• Best Kiddies Album: English
• Best Rock Album: English
• Best Alternative Music Album: English
• Best Pop Album: English
• Best Global Chart DVD

Jazz and Classical

• Best Popular Classical Album
• Best Instrumental Album
• Best Traditional Jazz Album
• Best Contemporary Jazz Album
• Best Jazz/Instrumental/Popular Classical DVD

Technical and Video

• Best Music Video of the Year
  South African Music Award for Best Music Video of the Year
  - 2000s :...
  
  
• Best Producer
• Best Engineer
• Remix Of The Year
• Best Album Packaging

Traditional

• Best South Sotho Music (SeSotho) Album
• Best Tsonga Music (XiTsonga) Album
• Best Venda Music (TshiVenda) Album
• Best Mbhaqanga Album
• Best Maskandi Album
• Best Traditional A Capella Album
• Best Adult Contemporary Album: African
• Best African Contemporary Gospel Album
• Best African Traditional Gospel Album
• Best Traditional African A Capella Gospel Album
• Best Alternative Music Album: African
• Best Traditional/African Adult Contemporary African DVD

Urban

• Best Urban Gospel Album
• Best Pop Album: African
• Best Urban Pop Album
• Best Urban Dance Album
• Best R&B/Neo-Soul Album
• Best Rap Album
• Best Kwaito Album

Others

• MTN Record of the Year
  South African Music Award for MTN Record of the Year
  The South African Music Award for Album of the Year is one of the most prestigious award categories at the South African Music Awards. It has been awarded since 1995 and is presented to the artist alone....
  
  
• Best Selling Album
• MTN Best Selling mobile music download