Urban Music Awards (UMA) South Africa has opened public voting on its 2026 nominations, with voting starting 11 November. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 9 December at the Theatre of Marcellus, Emperors Palace, in Johannesburg.
This is the second South African edition, following the inaugural event held at Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria in May 2025. The nominations recognise artists, musicians, producers, DJs and other contributors across the country’s music industry.
Genres and new categories#
The shortlist covers several genres:
New categories introduced for 2026 include:
- Song of the Year
- Best Lekompo Act
- Best Bacardi Act
- Best Choir or Choral Group
- Best Emerging Urban Act
Nominated artists#
Nominees include the following:
- Tyla
- CIZA
- Zee Nxumalo
- Kabza De Small
- DJ Maphorisa
- Shandesh
- MaWhoo
- Sam Deep
- Nasty C
- Kelvin Momo
- Kharishma
- Makhadzi
- Dlala Thukzin
- Young Stunna
- Lwah Ndlunkulu
- JAZZWRLD
- Thukuthela
Emerging acts#
The shortlist also includes the following emerging acts:
- Nayvee Womculo
- G-Jealous
- N T S A K O XVI
- Siphiwe Black
- De Rose
- BabyDaiz
Presenters, partners and background#
The 2026 edition is presented by Worldcharts.co, with support from Douwe Egberts South Africa, Invincible Nation, Theatre of Marcellus and Madepossible.ai.
The Urban Music Awards was established in the United Kingdom in 2003 and recognises achievements across hip-hop, R&B, gospel, jazz, reggae, dance, soul and related genres. Its South African edition was launched in May 2025 as part of the awards’ international expansion.
Further information about the ceremony, special honours and media accreditation is expected through the awards’ official channels.
