The nominees for the 6th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) were announced last night at Melrose Arch once again stirring controversy and raising serious questions regarding selection, judging and overall credibility of the awards show with the the SABC2 soap 7de Laan cut from the category of Best TV Soap this year, as I broke the news on Wednesday.
According to my sources, SABC3 is not happy but isn't willing to cut up its schedule and move the broadcast to 10 March just so it can be live.
The Saftas will dole out Golden Horn awards on 9 March for the non-fiction categories and on 10 March for the fiction categories. As in previous years, the Saftas – organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has industry insiders saying that the entry and selection process and judging of the awards ceremony needs to be relooked.
On the TV side, M-Net and e.tv previously lukewarm about the Saftas didn't enter for a long time citing credibility issues and doubt about a fair chance to compete. SABC1's Generations and producer Mfundi Vundla previously also expressed great unhappiness with the Saftas with the cast and crew which boycotted the awards. This year SABC2's 7de Laan declined to enter cast and crew into categories leading to its banishment from the Best Soap category which is determined by viewers and a popular vote.
The Saftas winners are decided upon by 104 judges who works within the TV and film industry. The 104 judges are all previous winners and nominees. Jackie Motsepe, one of the two judging chairpersons who oversee the judging, works at the SABC.
This year Shona Ferguson is a nominee for Best actor in a soap for his role as Alex in e.tv's Scandal! although he's been appearing in M-Net's The Wild for longer than a year.
Intersexions on SABC1 will be the winner in the category for Best actor in a drama series since only actors from that one show are the three nominees.
Jam Alley vs Crew is one of the nominees for both Best music show, as well as Best game show, as well as Best Youth and Children's show.
M-Net's Carte Blanche appears as a nominee in the category for magazine show, and not in the news and actuality programme.
Best news and actuality programme: No Place like Home, Carte Blanche, Speak Out.
Best magazine show: Carte Blanche, All Access Mzansi, Pasella, Headline.
Best music show: Afro Café, Club 808, Jam Alley vs Crew.
Best talk show: My Top 10: Life in Music; Redi on Mzansi, Tonight with Trevor Noah.
Best reality show: Sharp Shooter, One Day Leader, Jam Sandwich.
Best game show: Noot vir Noot, Jam Alley vs Crew, Kom ons Kareoke.
Best drama show: Sokhulu & Partners, Zone 14, Intersexions.
Best comedy: Gauteng Maboneng, Stokvel, Ga Re Dumele.
Best soap (as determined by viewers' vote): Generations, The Wild, Rhythm City, Scandal!, Isidingo, Muvhango.
Best actor in a drama series: Thato Moraka, Katleho Ramapakela, Siyabonga Radebe (all for Intersexions).
Best actress in a drama series: Lindiwe Ntuli (Fallen), Lungelo Dladla (Intersexions), Linda Sokhulu (Sokhulu & Partners).
Best actor in a soap: Mduduze Mabaso (Rhythm City), Tumisho Masha (The Wild), Shona Ferguson (Scandal!)
Best actress in a soap: Karin van der Laag (Isidingo), Michelle Botes (Isidingo), Lele Ledwaba (The Wild), Louise Barnes (Scandal!)
Best soap ensemble cast: Isidingo, Rhythm City, The Wild.
ALSO READ: 7de Laan's Vinette Ebrahim slams the South African Film and Television Awards after the SABC2 soap gets excluded from the popular vote Best Soap category this year.
ALSO READ: 7de Laan slams the South African Film and Television Awards: ''Disappointed'' at being excluded from the Best Soap category.
