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More than a decade after her last South African Music Awards (SAMA) win, Simphiwe Dana snatched this year’s Best African Adult Contemporary Album for MOYA. The musician’s last SAMA was the 2012 Best Live DVD for An Evening with Simphiwe Dana Live.
But don’t get it twisted, the accolades didn’t stop pouring as she’s been nominated on this and other platforms such as the Metro FM Awards and even won other awards including the SA Afro Music Award.
What the 2026 SAMA win means
Regardless of the 14-year gap since her last SAMA, this is still an exciting win for Simphiwe, especially given how this is happening at a time when the music scene has significantly changed from what it was when she first broke into the industry. Since releasing MOYA in January, the artist has been booked and busy with performances spread across all four corners of South Africa.
“MOYA has really helped with my healing because since my mother’s passing, I’ve had to step into the matriarch role in the family. It has helped me grow as an artist as well,” she says.
Not only does the win happen on the same month as the 70th anniversary of the iconic 1956 women’s march, but it falls on the same year as the 100th of her label Gallo, which is also the oldest stable in Africa.
“I’ve always been an advocate for women’s rights and Gallo has enabled me to achieve things I would have never been able to on my own.”
“Both these anniversaries are a reminder that after more than 20 years people still want to hear my music because I come from an era when women’s voices were stifled,” she said.
Grieving her mom and surviving cyberbullying
Earlier this year, Simphiwe spoke candidly about how MOYA was an album borne of grief after the loss of her mother. After many months of being stoic, the floodgates opened and she found herself almost crippled by the pain.
While navigating this, she also faced backlash on social media about her opinions on some of the socio-economic challenges that South Africa is currently grappling with.
Listen before you go MOYA on Spotify
“The cyberbullying gradually started to get really dark, and even reached a point of misogyny. But I can always lean on my family when people take things too far.”
She says she’s been called a bitch and accused of being entitled, adding that this goes back to society always trying to silence women.
Simphiwe says she has every right to speak on these issues, and she does so fearlessly knowing she has a strong support structure that holds her up even when people are beating her down.
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