Winners of Standard Bank Ovations Awards announced

Image by Mark Wessels: The 2022 Gold, Silver and Bronze Standard Bank Ovation Award winners

The late-night Awards took place after the last shows of the evening on 2 July and were packed with artists and supporters waiting to find out who the overall winners would be.

Throughout the Festival, Standard Bank Ovation Awards are given to productions on the National Arts Festival’s Fringe programme that are noticeable for being a cut above, well received by audiences - and leave a lasting impression. Audiences also note Standard Bank Ovation Awards when deciding what to see on the programme. On the last night of the Festival, winners gather to hear who among them will receive the Gold, Silver and Bronze Ovation Awards.

Bookings open for Cape Town City Ballet winter season

30 Jun 2022

The National Arts Festival’s Fringe programme is made up of shows that are independently produced and funded. A panel of reviewers see every show on the Fringe and meet daily to compare reviews and discuss the awarding of winners who are notified as soon as they are awarded. This year’s panel was jointly convened by Ranique Roberts and Kutlwano Kepadisa. The panel saw 128 shows in 9 days (the full panel is listed below).

Standard Bank Ovations Awards panel co-convenor Ranique Roberts said, “I adjudicated a performance and [was] left in tears. Not only was I moved by the performance, but also the heartfelt energy the patrons shared. Dancing and singing along, I looked around the room in admiration of how this performance had brought together every single person in the room, no matter their age, race or background. It was a full realisation that the arts are back!”

Fringe artists rely on ticket sales to make a success of their run at the Festival and, although the Festival did everything it could to manage the onset of Stage 6 load shedding, some shows had to cancel or postpone and were financially impacted as a result.

Covid restrictions scrapped as National Arts Festival opens

24 Jun 2022

Standard Bank Ovation Award winners in the Gold, Silver and Bronze categories are able to boost their profits from the prize money they are awarded, with R7,000 going to each of the Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award winners, R3,000 to each of the Silver Award winners and R2,000 to each of the Bronze Standard Bank Ovation recipients.

See the full list of award winners:

Gold Standard Bank Ovation Awards

• Île, Spark in the Dark
• Malifezeke, Iphupho L’ka Bikp
• Nakanjani, Gauteng DSRAC
• Emsini, Thapelo Tshite Arts Development

Silver Standard Bank Ovation Awards

• Impossible!, Brendon Peel Entertainment
• The Gukurahundi Genocide, Uloyiko Theatre and Projects
• The Vocal Explosion (Amazing Grace), Asanda Mqiki
• Whistleblowers, Afda Johannesburg
• My Weight and Why I Carry It, Fishnet Features
• Matchbox, Rhodes University Drama Department
• May I Have This Dance, The Outline
• Moodship, Gary Thomas
• NSFW – Not Safe for Woke, KG Mokgadi
• Asinamali, North West Development Agency

Bronze Standard Bank Ovation Awards

• Kgetho, Emfuleni Arts Creatives
• Swaringana, Sikhuthali Oliver Bonga and Walter Strydom
• We’re Back with Goosebumps A Capella, NWU Arts
• I.N.C.O.K.O, Ezinyaweni Zam
• Fragments, Stacey van Schalkwyk
• Intlombe, Andy Ndlazilwana
• Piano Classics, Best of Both Concerts
• Afrika Sings!, Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts
• Nomapondo, Amandla Danca Teatro ZA
• Vincent, Wela Kapela Productions
• Nombasa, Nombasa M Productions

Blue Standard Bank Ovation Awards

• Mamlambo, Walter Sisulu University Drama Society
• Undead Generation, Five Sided Records
• Basiccity Band, Basiccty
• The Story of Eva Cassidy, Wela Kapela Productions
• Ghetto the Musical, The Eastern Cape Theatre Ensemble
• Can’t-Centrate, Yaseen Barnes
• Hiding in the Dark, Mannini Nkata
• The Children’s Monologue, Oy! Theatre
• The Cracked Vase, Connecting Streams
• Stay at Home Comedian, Dalin Oliver
• Classical Dreams, Kwantu Designs

The National Arts Festival ran from 23 June- 3 July 2022 and was a live festival after a two-year hiatus during which the Festival went online during Covid-19.