South African Artists and Fans Celebrate Sjava Winning a BET Award
Sjava is the first South African artist to win the award.
South African ATM artist, Sjava, won the BET Viewer's Choice 'Best International Act' award last night. Sjava was nominated alongside Nigeria's Niniola and Ghana's Kwesi Arthur.
The artist's speech was also epic, as he used more of his mother tongue, IsiZulu in it.
@sjava_atm accepting his BET Award in LA. Congratulations General . pic.twitter.com/bT0iGuAYq3
— Ambitiouz Ent (@Ambitiouz_Ent) 25 June 2018
This is a first for a South African artist; the likes of Cassper Nyovest, Emtee and AKA have only made it as far as being nominated. But Sjava brought it home, and both fans and artists are celebrating the artist's win.
NGIYABONGA🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/m6PEFUT6Y8
— Sjava indlalifa (@Sjava_ATM) 24 June 2018
Below are some tweets congratulating Sjava:
INJA HA, INJA HO... #Siwinile#AllForOne#OneForAll#SAHipHop#AfricanTrapMovement@BETAwards siyabonga ndlalifa kaJama @Sjava_ATM✊🏾🇿🇦🐆 pic.twitter.com/3NXQLJzOPq
— ✊🏾 #K1GQ #ManOfTheMoment (@KwestaDaKAR) 25 June 2018
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 https://t.co/VznycRaewJ
— DRUGS_INC (@Ruff_atm) 25 June 2018
Black Excellence Televised. Congrats KING 🤴🏿 @Sjava_ATM ✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/riGuxplgyc
— Da L.E.S (@2freshLES) 25 June 2018
Congratulations @Sjava_ATM on the win! I hope this proves to the kids, the worlds respects us when we take pride in our own culture 👊🏿 I'm Proud to have voted for you king 👏🏿 #ProudlyKZN#ProudlySouthAfrican#ProudlyAfricanpic.twitter.com/A0fFpSYndj
— ProudlySouthAfrican (@AewonWolf) 25 June 2018
Congrats to King Sjava for the win!!! SA HIP HOP DOING BIG SHIT!!! #BETAwards2018pic.twitter.com/wBQ3zC1Rma
— R.M Phoolo (@CassperNyovest) 25 June 2018
Congrats to my brother @Sjava_ATM WELL DESERVED MFWETHU!! #BETAwards2018pic.twitter.com/8TXalqjubJ
— Jr (@JRafrika) 24 June 2018
Massive respect ✊🏾 @Sjava_ATM for winning a BET International Viewers Award 🥉 #BETAward18#BETAwards18#BETAwardspic.twitter.com/WLlDrJwUDS
— 50degrees (@OskidoIBelieve) 25 June 2018
Good morning South Africa. We would like to congratulate our Hip Hop Artist Sjava on flying the South African 🇿🇦 flag high and winning the BET Viewers' Choice Best International Act award. Isina muva liyabukwa! pic.twitter.com/cVOdEAy4an
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) 25 June 2018
South Africa Stand Up! Our very own @Sjava_ATM is a BET Award Winner🎉🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/zdSHAY8DmY
— Ofentse Mwase 🎞🎥 (@unclescrooch) 25 June 2018
Congratulations to @Sjava_ATM for winning the Viewers Choice Award. #BETAwards2018 in association with @RussianBearSA and @METROFMSA. pic.twitter.com/wjtRl8d4Ic
— #BETAwards2018 26.06 (@BET_Africa) 25 June 2018
CONGRATULATIONS SJAVARISTO!!! WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT!
I MET YOU IN A TAXI HOMEY! TRYING TO LIVE THIS LIFE!!! AND NOW LOOK!!! LIVING THIS LIFE!!!
I'M INSPIRED! https://t.co/NEUXhdb4yG
— A Z A N I A 🇿🇦 (@ReasonHD) 25 June 2018
Sjava released his debut album Isina Muva in 2016 under the indie label Ambitiouz Entertainment to critical acclaim. His music fuses trap with South African genres like maskandi, mbhaqanga, isicathamiya, among others, and is called ATM (African Trap Music). Earlier this year, Sjava made an appearance on Black Panther The Album Black Panther The Album with a verse that's one for the books. On the verse, Sjava manages to tell his life story in 16 bars, and showcases the ATM style.
Watch Sjava's latest video for "Abangani," featuring his fellow ATM soldiers Saudi and Emtee, below: