METRO FM MUSIC AWARDS RULES

INTRODUCTION

  1. The Key Events in the Awards process
  2. Date of the Awards Ceremony
  3. Entry Mechanics

GENERAL RULES

  1. Eligibility for Entry
  2. Broadcast and Exploitation rights
  3. Prizes
  4. General

CATEGORIES

Rules and Regulations METRO FM Special Awards

  1. Lifetime Achiever
  2. One Africa
  3. Most Streamed Artist

 

INTRODUCTION

The METRO FM Music Awards exist to recognize accomplishment in the South African recording industry by celebrating those groups and individuals who have excelled in the past year. With a vision of having a united Africa and encouraging more collaborations between African artists as well as the increase in playlisting of African artists.

  1. The key events in the awards process

  • The Annual METRO FM Music Awards open for entry on the 19 January 2024. The closing date for entries is 28 February 2024.
  • It is a strict requirement of the MMAs that the albums, singles and recordings eligible for entry at the MMA’s must have been released between 28 February 2023 to 28 February 2024.
  • Rules and Regulations and Submission Checklist may be downloaded from the METRO FM Website.
  • An Artist may be entered into multiple categories following a digital entry submission mechanic.
  • Entries received will be screened for compliance with the relevant rules and to check whether such entries are entered in the correct categories. The purpose of this process, known as vetting, is to ensure that each entry is eligible, in the right category and is not at risk of disqualification. No artistic or technical judgments are made about entries at this stage.
  • METRO FM reserves the right to recommend an appropriate category placement during the vetting process, in consultation with the entering record company or artist. Entries that do not comply with the rules are disqualified. METRO FM reserves the right to select the final nominees and this reassignment does not guarantee a nomination.
  • METRO FM reserves the right to cancel a category should it receive less than three (3) submissions. Applicants will receive 5 working days’ notice to resubmit their application to an alternative category.
  • All category submissions are eligible for public voting except Lifetime Achiever Award and Most Streamed Song.
  • The panel of judges are responsible for whittling down each submission per category and selecting nominees.
  • After the vetting process the panel adjudicates each submission according to strict guidelines, which include applying the judging criteria, stations music policy for each category and their expert knowledge of the market and the music industry in general.
  • In the interest of uniformity and transparency, the panel is required to vote and return results on prescribed forms in the presence of auditors. Results are then collated into auditable sets.
  • The panel of judges are reviewed annually and are selected for their expertise in their respective fields with no vested interests in the music industry.
  • SABC Internal Audit calculates the results on which the list of nominees is based and certifies that such results have been arrived at in accordance with all relevant rules.
  • The Top 5 (minimum 3) nominees per category will be announced at the Nominees announcement event to be held on the 14 March 2024. Due to the amount of submissions received, METRO FM is only able to invite nominees to this event.
  • Voting lines open to the public at 12am on the 15 March 2024 and close at 11:59pm on the 21 April. Voting for Song of the Year closes on 27 April 2024.
  • The voting results are verified by SABC Internal Audit and then revealed on the 27 April 2024 .
  • It is a strict requirement of the MMAs that the albums, singles and recordings eligible for entry at the MMAs must have been released between 28 February 2023 to 28 February 2024.

  1. Date of the Awards Ceremony

  • The Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday the 27 April 2024

  1. Entry Mechanics

*All the above must have been submitted to by no later than the published closing date being the 28 February 2024 at 23:59. 

GENERAL RULES

  1. Eligibility for Entry

  • Entries are open to any South African artist (as defined below) who qualifies in terms of the rules applicable to the relevant category or categories and the qualification criteria set out below. Entry is open in respect of any qualifying recording artist, being a person who (except in the case of the One Africa category)
  • has been a legal resident in South Africa for a minimum of 12 months from the date of entry; or
  • is a South African citizen; and
  • provided that the entrant is a South African record company and owns at least 50% (fifty percent) of the master recording contained in the entry in question
  • The same applies to artist comprising of duos or groups, provided that not less than 50% of its members comply with the qualification criteria set out above. METRO FM reserves the right to request documentary proof that all artists, producers, directors, and engineers meet the qualification criteria as set out herein.
  • All recordings submitted for the MMAs must have been commercially released (in other words first made available for purchase by the retail trade) in South Africa during the entry period 28 February 2023 to 28 February 2024.
  • Unless otherwise stated, the awards are presented for single or album releases. An album is defined as a commercially available musical offering containing a minimum of 7 (seven) different and previously unreleased sound recordings by the artist or group in question (in other words, no re-released albums or “best of” albums); and not less than 30 (thirty) minutes of previously unreleased recorded performance.

  1. Prizes

  • Statuettes are awarded to the winning artist or group except where the category states otherwise.
  • Nominees who are not able to attend the main gala event should give written notice to the organisers of their inability to attend, with an accompanying motivation to be received by METRO FM within 14 (fourteen) days of the main event.
  • Should the application be successful then the nominee may be required to record an audio-visual interview for each category entered for broadcast purposes, a copy of which must be submitted via email on awards@metrofm.co.za.

  1. Broadcast and Exploitation Rights

  • In order to produce the awards event, METRO FM will require the following from each qualifying artist who is nominated as a finalist in any category:
  • The right to use each nominee’s photograph, name, likeness, image, biography, interviews and recorded performances at each event of the awards, for the marketing, advertising, filming, and broadcasting of the awards.
  • The right to use the sound recordings or part thereof embodied in the album entered in the awards for the purposes of the marketing, advertising, filming and broadcast of the awards e.g. AV’s and TV promos
  • The SABC will seek the relevant record company’s consent prior to the inclusion of any of its recordings and artists in a commercially available compilation album.

4. General

  • All entrants hereby waive any claim of whatsoever nature which they may have against the Sponsors and/or METRO FM arising out of or in connection with their participation in this competition and will ensure that the nominees will do the same.
  • METRO FM shall not be liable to an entrant for any reason whatsoever, whether in contract, delict or otherwise arising out of, or in connection with the MMAs. The entrant hereby fully and effectually indemnifies the SABC and its Sponsors and their successors, assigns, licensees and each of their officers, directors, employees and agents and hold them harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, judgments, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable legal expenses) directly or indirectly due to any breach of these rules by the entrant.  This indemnity shall survive the competition of the Awards.
  • By submitting a fully completed entry for the Annual MMA’s the entrant agrees to abide by the Rules as stated in this document.
  • All decisions with respect to the acceptance of any entry and eligibility of entries are made by METRO FM and shall be final and binding upon all entrants. In the event of any dispute, METRO FM’s decision shall be binding on the entrant and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • METRO FM may, without the entrant’s further consent, use the entrant’s name, likeness, biography and photographs of its nominees owned or controlled by the entrant (“contribution materials”) without charge in exploiting advertising and publicizing the competition in all media and formats throughout the universe.
  • The entrant hereby represents; warrants and undertakes to METRO FM that the entrant is entitled to enter the competition and has full power and authority to grant rights herein expressed to be granted.
  • The entrant shall not, without the prior written consent of METRO FM (except as required by law) at any time hereafter, either personally or by means of press or publicity or advertising agents or agencies, divulge or disclose any information of any nature or kind relating to the development or production of the competition to any person, relating to any matter arising hereunder or to the general affairs of METRO FM, coming within the entrant’s knowledge by reason of this competition or otherwise howsoever.
  • Notwithstanding, and irrespective of, any advertisement or announcement which may have been or may hereafter be published, METRO FM shall not be liable to the entrant for, or in respect of, any loss of publicity, advertisement, reputation or the like due to the entrant’s non-appearance in the competition and/or METRO FM’s failure to produce, advertise, promote or exploit the competition and nothing contained herein shall be construed so as to impose upon METRO FM any obligation to make use of the services of the entrant, or to permit the entrant to play any part in the making of the competition, or to produce, advertise, promote (or to continue the production, advertising, promotion or exploitation) of the competition.
  • Once submitted an entry may only be withdrawn by the entrant. The request to withdraw an entry must be made in writing and received by METRO FM via email on awards@metrofm.co.za before the closing date of the entries.
  • METRO FM reserves the right to withdraw an award from any winner, who in METRO FM’s sole discretion has brought the METRO FM Music Awards into disrepute.

CATEGORIES

  1. Best Gospel Album
  2. Best Jazz Album
  3. Best Produced Album
  4. Best Collaboration Song
  5. Song of the Year
  6. Best Music Video
  7. Best Viral Challenge
  8. Best Female Artist
  9. Best Male Artist
  10. Best New Artist
  11. Artist of the Year
  12. Best Styled Artist
  13. Best Duo/Group
  14. Best R&B
  15. Best Dance
  16. Best African Pop
  17. Best Amapiano
  18. Best Hip Hop
  19. Best Kwaito/Gqom
  20. Most Streamed Song (subject to sponsor)
  21. Lifetime Achievement Award (x2)
  22. One Africa Award

RULES AND REGULATIONS

  1. Unless otherwise defined below, all categories are judged on the following criteria:
  • Artist Ability
  • Creativity
  • Production
  • Entertainment Value

1.1   Best Gospel Album

This category is for entry by artists who perform Gospel music influenced by urban genres of music e.g. R&B, Traditional, Soul, Hip Hop, African Pop, Jazz, Dance, etc

1.2   Best Jazz Album

This category is for entry by artists who perform urban contemporary jazz music containing any combination of vocal and/or instrumental elements where the artist in question is an urban contemporary jazz artist.

1.3   Best Produced Album

This award will go to artists whose entry is an album that, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other collaboration entered in the MMA24.

1.4    Best Collaboration song

This award will go to artists whose entry is a collaboration song that, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other collaboration song entered in the MMA24.

1.5   Song of the Year

This award will go to the artist or group whose entry is a song that, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other song entered in MMA24.

1.6   Best Music Video

This award will go to the artist or group whose entry is a music video that, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other music video entered in the MMA24.

1.7    Best Viral Challenge

Best Viral Challenge This award will go to the artist or group whose entry is a song with the best social media viral challenge, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other music video entered in the MMA24

1.8   Best Female

This award will go to a female artist whose entry is a single or album that, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other single or album by a solo female artist entered into the MMA24.

1.9   Best Male

This award will go to a male artist whose entry is a single or album that, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other single or album by a solo male artist entered into the MMA24.

1.10 Best New Artist

This award will go to the artist whose entry is the debut single/album by that artist and where the artist in question has never previously earned artist royalties (from their single/album) and where such a debut single/album, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of the genre, better than any other debut single/album entered by a new artist in the MMA24.

1.11 Best Styled Artist/Group

This award will go to the artist or group whose style, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, and is better than any other artist/group entered in the MMA24.

1.12 Artist of the Year

This award will go to the artist whose entry is a single/album, who in the opinion of the judges, regardless genre or gender, is better than any artist entered into the MMA24.

1.13 Best Duo/Group

This award will go to the duo or group recording collectively as an artist whose entry is an album or single that, in the opinion of the judges, by its excellence, regardless of its genre, better than any other recording by a duo or group entered in the MMA24.

1.14 Best R&B Song

This category is for entry by artists who perform R&B and or Neo-Soul in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence better than any other R&B song entered into the MMA24.

1.15 Best Dance

This category is for entry by artists and/or DJ’s who perform dance music influenced by urban genres of music. Entrants should note that judges will only consider the tracks performed by the artist or DJ in question when adjudicating the single

1.16 Best African Pop

This category is for entry by artists who perform African Pop Music in the opinion of the judges, is by   its excellence, better than any other African Pop artist entered into the MMA24.

1.17 Best AmaPiano

This category is for entry by artists who perform AmaPiano in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence better than any other AmaPiano artist entered into the MMA24.

1.18 Best Hip Hop

This category is for entry by artists who perform Hip Hop Music in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, is by its excellence better than any other Hip Hop artist entered into the MMA24

1.19   Best Kwaito/Gqom

This category is for entry by artists who perform Kwaito/Gqom Music in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, better than any other Kwaito/Gqom artist entered into the MMA24.  

2. Special Awards

These (three) categories are not open for entry.  The appointed MMA panel will nominate the recipients (Most Streamed Artist will be provided by DSP sponsoring the award)

2.1 METRO FM Lifetime Achiever

The Lifetime Achievement Award  is awarded by METRO FM  to deserving South African artists/performers that, during their lifetime, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.

2.2 One Africa Award

This category is awarded to the artist or group who, in the opinion of the judges, is by its excellence, regardless of its genre, and is better than any other artist/group entered in the MMA24.

2.3 Most Streamed Artists

This category is awarded to the artist or group with the most streams during the MMA24 eligibility period, data will be provided by the Digital Service Provider sponsoring the award.