The National Arts Festival last night announced six young South Africans as winners of the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award. This marks the start of a new decade building on Standard Bank’s 30 years of sponsoring the Awards which was celebrated in Grahamstown this year. The number of winners who have received this accolade since 1984 now tallies up to 137.
The Award is made annually to young South African artists who are either on the threshold of national acclaim, or whose artistic excellence has enabled them to make international breakthroughs.
“The announcement of each year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Awards offers a window into the dynamic vibrancy with which South African artists continue to use their talents and skills to resolutely raise the bar on artistic excellence in South Africa” says Ismail Mahomed Artistic Director of the National Arts Festival.
The winners of the 2015 Standard Bank Young Artist Awards are:
- Luyanda Sidiya for Dance
- Nduduzo Makhathini for Jazz
- Kemang Wa Lehulere for Visual Art
- Musa Ngqungwana for Music
- Athi-Patra Ruga for Performance Art
- Christiaan Olwagen for Theatre
Standard Bank continues to pioneer and support initiatives that ensure platforms for the talented voices of our country’s young established artists. Over the past 31 years, this award has proven to be a flagship of its kind in the arts in South Africa. We look forward to see what the 2015 group of winners will add to our national arts treasury, both as ambassadors of and inspiration for a new generation,” said Hazel Chimhandamba, Head Group Sponsorship at Standard Bank.
Apart from a cash incentive, each of the winners will be featured on the Main programme of the 2015 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown (2 – 12 July 2015), where they will be given the opportunity to develop and première new works.
The Young Artist Awards were started in 1981 by the National Arts Festival to acknowledge emerging, relatively young South African artists who have displayed an outstanding talent in their artistic endeavours. These prestigious awards are presented annually to deserving artists in different disciplines, affording them national exposure and acclaim. Standard Bank took over the sponsorship of the awards in 1984 and has presented Young Artist Awards in all the major arts disciplines over their 31-year sponsorship, as well as posthumous and special recognition awards. The winners feature on the main programme of the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and receive financial support for their Festival participation, as well as a cash prize.
Author: Gilly Hemphill.
2015 Standard Bank Young Artists Award winners (l-r) Nduduzo Makhathini (Jazz), Athi-Patra Ruga (Performance Art), Christiaan Olwagen (Theatre), Kemang Wa Lehulere (Visual Art), Musa Ngqungwana (Music).
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