Africori is celebrating four wins at the 2026 Basadi in Music Awards, with MaWhoo, Kamo Mphela and Monique Bingham taking home honours across a range of categories at the fifth annual awards.
The milestone edition of the women-focused awards was held under the theme REWIND, looking back at five years of recognising the talent, influence and creative contributions of women across the music industry. The Basadi in Music Awards describe the 2026 edition as a celebration of the women shaping culture, while revisiting the fashion, themes and moments that have defined the awards’ journey.
For Africori, the wins span distinctly different parts of the music ecosystem, from amapiano and radio to music video and international recognition.
MaWhoo was one of the night’s standout winners, taking home both Amapiano Artist of the Year and the Highest Airplay Award for her single Bengicela. The artist was also among the nominees for Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, highlighting the breadth of her presence across this year’s awards.
For MaWhoo, the recognition comes at a time when amapiano continues to expand its cultural footprint, with artists increasingly building identities that extend beyond the music itself and into fashion, performance and visual culture.
Kamo Mphela took home Music Video of the Year for Partii, a recognition that speaks directly to the visual dimension of contemporary South African music.
Known for bringing together music, dance, fashion and performance, Mphela has developed an artistic language that relies heavily on movement and visual storytelling. Her win places that visual work alongside the other creative disciplines being recognised at the Basadi in Music Awards.
Rounding out Africori’s four wins was acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Monique Bingham, who received the International Recognition Award.
Bingham’s career has connected South African and African dance music with audiences beyond the continent, particularly through the global house music community. Her award recognises the longevity of that work and the international reach that African artists can build from distinctly local creative foundations.
According to Adam Tiran, General Manager at Africori, the four wins reflect the diversity of women working across the African music landscape.
“These four wins celebrate not only their individual artistry, but the diversity of styles, sounds and cultures that make African music so exciting.”
Tiran also highlighted the significance of receiving four awards as the Basadi in Music Awards marked its fifth anniversary, describing the platform as an important space for celebrating women on their own terms.
The 2026 edition of Basadi was built around the idea of looking backwards while considering what comes next. Its REWIND theme invited guests to revisit previous Basadi themes and reinterpret them through contemporary fashion and creative expression, turning the awards themselves into something of a visual archive of the platform’s evolution.
For Africori, the four wins similarly point to different ways women are shaping the contemporary African music ecosystem: MaWhoo through amapiano and radio, Kamo Mphela through music’s increasingly visual language, and Monique Bingham through an international career that has helped connect African dance music with audiences around the world.
Africori’s 2026 Basadi in Music Awards wins
- Amapiano Artist of the Year: MaWhoo
- Highest Airplay Award: MaWhoo, Bengicela
- Music Video of the Year: Kamo Mphela, Partii
- International Recognition Award: Monique Bingham
