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Not just a restaurant, Artistry in Sandton is a full-fledged cultural and dining hub complete with a theatre and other features.
Last week, the establishment—which was founded by Mi Casa’s J’Something in partnership with hotel and apartment network BlackBrick in 2022 and hosted its official public launch in early 2023—announced that it had been nominated for the Best Live Music Venue category in the Music Business Awards Africa.
The awards ceremony is set to take place at the South African State Theatre on Saturday, 21 November.
The significance of this particular award
Artistry has been celebrated with various accolades in its few years of existence, including the Top Restaurant Award at the 2024 DStv Business Awards and Lifestyle Restaurant of the Year at the 2023 LUXE Restaurant Awards.
However, if they bring this one home next month, it will be a first for the establishment as they have yet to secure such a nod for their broader offerings besides food.
An overwhelmed J’Something shared that when he and his partners first embarked on this journey, the vision had been to create a cultural platform that showcases, celebrates and preserves culture holistically.
“Whether we win or not, I think the recognition that we are seen and acknowledged as a platform for the efforts that we are making is all we needed because it's not necessarily due to profits that we are still around.”
The artistry of Artistry
It wasn’t just about creating a space that artists valued and trusted, but the bigger picture was to ensure that the communities co-existing with these artists in that space could also find it homely and welcoming.
“What's been really encouraging over the time is that we've really felt that from both the artists as well as the people that are passionate about the arts. So to be able to get this nod, it's an affirmation that we're on the right track,” he reflected.
South Africa being a musically diverse country, putting together a team of like-minded individuals with a common musical vision has been instrumental in shaping Artistry’s musical choices, and this nomination says it’s a vision that patrons of the arts are embracing.
“For us it's always been about ensuring that internally we resonate with the artistry of the artists we collaborate with.
“And the selection process has always been through that filter—whether we believe that that artist is aligned with that of artistry as a platform,” he explained.
Artistry doesn’t just platform seasoned artists, but is also accommodating of emerging talent as well. While some see this as risky from a commercial perspective, J’Something and his partners still believe in the importance of showcasing artists’ cultural stories in a way that makes them feel proud, regardless of where they are in their creative journeys.
For them, the risk outweighs the spirit of community they’ve cultivated with the people who come to consume and celebrate the music at Artistry. Whatever happens at the awards ceremony next month, J’Something expressed gratitude, adding that his team would keep going and doing more of what they believe in.
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