Since 2011, the kykNET Fiesta Awards have been honouring outstanding achievements in the performing arts seen in the previous year at the six main Afrikaans arts festivals.
2023 was a dream year for the arts. All six festivals – Innibos, KKNK, Momentum Investments Aardklop, Suidoosterfees, Vrystaat Kunstefees and the Toyota SU Woordfees – offered a rich variety of quality work. Also, Klein Karoo Klassique, which focuses on classical music, once again showed that there is no end to talent and resourcefulness in South Africa.
The KKNK production Droomkraan-kronieke was one of the big winners of the evening, taking home three awards: Best Production, Best Direction and Best Ensemble. Mbuso Ndlovu’s Echoes of Heritage and the University of Johannesburg Choir received two Fiestas: Best Original Music and Best Music-driven Production: Open-air or Podium. It was staged at the Vrystaat Kunstefees.
Theatre veterans Frank Opperman and Lee-Ann van Rooi, both previous Fiesta winners, were named Best Actor for Reünie and Best Actress for The Woman Who Fed the Dogs, respectively. Eben Genis (Mirakel) and Antoinette Kellermann (Goed wat wag om te gebeur) were honoured for their supporting roles. Kerscha Titus won the Fiesta for Best Emerging Artist for her performance in Jantjies and the Pearls.
Tobie Cronjé and Dr Ismail Mahomed were honoured as legends for their lifelong contributions to the arts. Tobie’s commendation was delivered by actor, academic and writer Chris Vorster, and Ismail’s by the playwright Mike van Graan.
The Fiestas, presented for the fourteenth time this year, were handed out at a glamorous awards evening on 7 March at The Lookout in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The MCs were Vinette Ebrahim and Mandri Sutherland, with Dean John Smith, David Kramer, Amanda Strydom, Cornelia Faasen, Wicus Pretorius, Reynard Slabbert and Laetitia Pople as guest presenters. Waldimar Pelser, M-Net Director of Premium Channels, congratulated the winners and nominees on behalf of kykNET and also presented the award for Best Festival Production.
“These wizards of theatre, music and the visual arts mesmerise us and captivate us with glimpses into lives and worlds removed from our own. When we step away, we are no longer the same people. We are transformed, even if only on a small scale. We look at ourselves and maybe even each other a bit differently. We forget our worries for a while and remember what really matters,” Pelser said.
Music was provided by World Café’s Piet de Beer, Stanislav Angelov and Schalk Joubert.
As with previous Fiesta Awards, each nominee, and thereby all the winners, as well as the Fiestas judging panel, received an artwork. This year, the works were created by the linocut master Theo Paul Vorster.
Here is the complete list of winners:
Best Festival Production
Droomkraan-kronieke (KKNK)
Best Actor
Frank Opperman – Reünie (Innibos)
Best Actress
Lee-Ann van Rooi – The Woman Who Fed the Dogs (Suidoosterfees)
Best Supporting Actor
Eben Genis – Mirakel (KKNK)
Best Supporting Actress
Antoinette Kellermann – Goed wat wag om te gebeur (Momentum Beleggings Aardklop)
Best Direction
Neil Coppen, Craig Leo en Tiffany Saterdaght – Droomkraan-kronieke (KKNK)
Best Ensemble
Droomkraan-kronieke (KKNK)
Best New Afrikaans Text, Adaptation or Translation
Lynthia Julius & Veronique Jepthas – My kroon se krank (KKNK)
Best Theatre Design
Wolf Britz – Tuis, ek’s liefie (Toyota SU Woordfees)
Best Original Music
Mbuso Ndlovu – Echoes of Heritage (Vrystaat Kunstefees)
Best Achievement in Visual Arts
Tafadzwa Tega – Chisi Hachieri Musi Wacharimwa: A Seed Will Take Its Time to Grow (Momentum Investments Aardklop)
Best Achievement in Classical Music
Erik Dippenaar and Ralitza Macheva – Variations (Klein Karoo Klassique)
Best Music-Driven Production: Open-Air or Podium
Echoes of Heritage – University of Johannesburg Choir (Vrystaat Kunstefees)
Best Music-Driven Production: Theatre
David Kramer – Ver in die wêreld Kittie (Suidoosterfees)
Best Children or Educational Theatre
Braam en die engel (Momentum Investments Aardklop)
Best Emerging Artist
Kerscha Titus – Jantjies and the Pearls (KKNK)
