Celebrating Women in Music: SAMRO Partners with Basadi in Music Awards 2025

The Star

a day ago

Sipho Jack | Published 1 week ago
As South Africa prepares to mark Women's Month in August, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) has announced its continued partnership with the Basadi in Music Awards 2025, reaffirming its commitment to uplifting and celebrating the role of women in the country's music industry.
In a move that blends celebration with empowerment, SAMRO will sponsor the Songwriter of the Year category, an award that recognises lyrical brilliance, originality, and the often-unseen creatives behind the hits that shape the nation's soundtrack.
Set to take place at the Joburg Theatre on August 1 and 2, the Basadi in Music Awards have become a flagship platform for honouring the contributions of women in all facets of the music industry from performance and production to songwriting and executive leadership.
South Africa celebrates Women's Month every year in August, to pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, to protest against the pass laws.
Speaking on the importance of the partnership with Basadi in Music Awards, Kgomotso Mosenogi, SAMRO's general manager for marketing and communications, said the initiative aligns with SAMRO's ongoing efforts to transform the music landscape and promote gender equity.
"Women have long been the heartbeat of our music industry, often writing the stories of our nation behind the scenes. Supporting the Basadi in Music Awards is not just symbolic—it's a tangible investment in gender equity, recognition, and creative excellence,' said Mosenogi.
This year's sponsorship marks the fourth consecutive year that SAMRO has backed the initiative. Beyond financial support, SAMRO has also played a proactive role in capacity building.
In 2024, the organisation hosted a series of empowerment workshops targeting women in music. These sessions focused on music creation, copyright, production, and promotion—equipping female creatives with essential tools to thrive in a male-dominated industry.
Mosenogi emphasised the importance of addressing systemic challenges women face in the creative sector.
'In 2021, we commissioned a research report titled Women's Rights and Representation in the South African Music Sector. The findings were eye-opening—highlighting the underrepresentation of women in decision-making roles and the need for deliberate action to ensure inclusivity,' she said.
The partnership with Basadi in Music, according to Mosenogi, was part of a broader call to action. It's not only about awards, it's about opening doors, shifting narratives, and creating a future where women's contributions to music are equally acknowledged, supported, and celebrated.
This year's women's month will be celebrated under the theme "Accelerate Action" to emphasise the need to fast-track progress towards gender equality and calls for increased investment in women's well-being and empowerment.
DAILY NEWS