NACA 2026 Enters Awards Week Ahead of National SABC 1 Celebration
Full nominee line-up confirmed as South Africa prepares to celebrate its creative talent on television
Pretoria, 18 August 2026 — The countdown to the 2026 National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA) has entered its final stage, with the full nominee line-up now confirmed across South Africa’s arts, culture and heritage sectors.
Following the completion of the phased nominee announcements, attention now turns to the Awards ceremony at Sun City Resort on Friday, 21 August, followed by a national television celebration on SABC 1 at 20:00 on Saturday, 22 August 2026.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) says the Awards will bring together creative talent across Heritage, Visual Arts and Craft, Design, Performing Arts, Audio Visual and Literature.
Full spectrum of South African creativity
The Heritage category includes Karoo Origins, KwaZulu-Natal Museum and The Phansi Museum, nominated for the Outstanding Museum Award.
In Visual Arts and Craft, nominees include Gallery MOMO, The Dealr and UNISA Art Gallery for Outstanding Art Gallery, while Madoda Fani, Sefakwana Portia Thenjwayo and Xolile Mabuza compete for Outstanding Crafter.
The Outstanding Curator nominees are Bridget Phakathi, Sefakwana Portia Thenjwayo and Tshegofatso Seoka, while Gwenneth Miller, Mellaney Roberts and Michael Selekane are nominated for Outstanding Visual Artist.
Design and Performing Arts
The Design categories feature some of South Africa’s established creative names.
Bridget Meier, Kathleen Helen De Villiers Soal and Sipho Phiri are nominated for Architecture/Interior Designer, while David Tlale, Jacques La Grange and Olebogeng Ledimo compete for Fashion/Textile Designer.
The Graphic & Multimedia Designer category features David Siyabonga Tshabalala, Rejoice Kunene and Siya Masuku.
Performing Arts nominees include Gontse Ntshegang, Mandlenkosi Gaduka and Valentine Themba Ndaba for Actor in Theatre, while Dalin Gerard Oliver, Nomthandazo Rubushe and Siyabulela Seya are nominated for Comedian Performance.
The Dance Production nominees are Chloe Blair for Nothing Twice, Gregory Maqoma for Genesis: The Beginning and End of Time and Llewellyn Mnguni for From You to Me.
The Musician Award nominees are Creshwell October, Sisa Benjamin Zako and Viwe Siyabonga Mkizwana.
In Poet Performance, the nominees are Koleka Putuma, Masai Sepuru and Modise Joshua Sekgothe.
Theatre Production nominees include Calvin Seretle Ratladi for Breakfast with Mugabe, Jana Hattingh for Verwelkingslied and Aubrey Sekhabi for The Fatherland.
Film, television and literature recognised
The Audio Visual categories further highlight the breadth of the country’s creative industries.
The Actor TV/Film nominees are Siyabonga Shibe, Zenande Mfenyane and Ntuthuzelo “Prince” Grootboom.
For Film Fiction, the nominees are Michael James for God’s Work, Lindani Msibi for My Winter Tears and Norman Maake for Sebata – The Beast.
Literary talent is also strongly represented.
The Fiction Book nominees are Jan Vermeulen for Bloedblou, Michelle Kekana for The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women and Ayanda Xaba for Room 904.
In Non-Fiction Book, the nominees are Kutlwano Masote for Imperfect Harmony, Deborah Seddon for Magnitude and Hlonipha Mokoena for The Nightwatchman.
The Children’s Fiction category features Lalu Mokuku for Butterfly Heart, Fanie Viljoen for Die beste sussie vir ’n baba-draak and Bianca Flanders for Pumpkin and the Hidden Heroes.
The Publisher nominees are Jacana Media, uHlanga Press and Siyafunda Online.
Pamela Mtanga and Vafa Naraghi to lead the celebration
Presenters Pamela Mtanga and Vafa Naraghi will lead the NACA 2026 celebration.
The programme is expected to feature music, fashion, visual arts, poetry and performance, reflecting the range of creative disciplines represented among this year’s nominees.
Presented under the theme “Celebrating Our Nation’s Creative Excellence,” NACA 2026 aims to recognise not only artistic achievement but also the contribution of the creative sector to livelihoods, enterprise, cultural identity and social cohesion.
A significant year for South Africa
This year’s Awards take place against several important national milestones.
South Africa marks 70 years since the historic Women’s March of 1956, 50 years since the 1976 youth uprising and 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution in 1996.
The NACA nominees represent a new generation of artists, writers, filmmakers, performers and cultural practitioners contributing to how the South African story is documented, interpreted and shared.
The Awards also coincide with 50 years of television in South Africa, giving particular significance to the SABC 1 broadcast and television’s role in bringing South African languages, music, stories and cultural expression into homes across the country.
Business partnerships support the Awards
NACA 2026 is supported by several corporate partners contributing to different elements of the programme.
Super Group Dealerships, through JETOUR, is supporting mobility across the NACA and National Sports Awards weekend.
Metropolitan is bringing a focus on financial resilience and legacy, while AMKA and participating beauty brands are supporting both Awards through products as well as local hair and make-up talent.
Yamaha will contribute musical instruments as part of the Ministerial Outreach Programme at Paardekraal Primary School in Rustenburg on Monday, 24 August 2026.
The Department says these partnerships demonstrate how business and government can work together to support creative talent, livelihoods and opportunities beyond the Awards stage.
When to watch NACA 2026
The NACA 2026 ceremony takes place at Sun City on Friday, 21 August 2026, where this year’s winners will be determined.
The National Sports Awards will follow on Sunday, 23 August, completing a weekend celebrating excellence across South African arts, culture and sport.
For audiences across the country, the national celebration will continue on SABC 1 at 20:00 on Saturday, 22 August 2026.
South Africans are encouraged to gather with family and friends and tune in as NACA 2026 celebrates the artists, stories and creative voices shaping the country’s cultural landscape.
