Hle has won Album of the Year at the 32nd South African Music Awards for The Ground We’re On, giving the gospel singer one of the most prestigious honours of the night at SAMA32.
The award was announced on Saturday night at the Sun City Superbowl in the North West, where South Africa’s recording industry gathered for the 32nd edition of the country’s premier music awards.
The Ground We’re On entered the ceremony as one of five albums competing for Album of the Year.
The other finalists were Monghali Mesia by Amadodana Ase Wesile, Orchestrations by Guy Buttery, The Most Wanted by JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela, and Wrapped in Rhythm, Vol. 2 by Tutu Puoane, Metropole Orkest and Jacome Bairos.
The victory gives Hle the night’s top album honour and places a contemporary faith music recording at the centre of the SAMA32 awards.
The album had also been nominated for Best Contemporary Faith Music Album, making Hle one of the leading artists in the SAMA32 nominations. Before the ceremony, she was among the artists with multiple Top Five nominations.
The recognition is significant because Album of the Year brings recordings from different musical traditions into direct competition.
Hle’s album therefore prevailed over projects representing African indigenous faith music, dance, adult contemporary music and instrumental music.
That diversity was central to the SAMA32 nominations. RiSA described the nominees as reflecting the breadth of South African music, with artists and recordings spanning multiple generations and genres.
Hle’s victory also strengthens the position of gospel and contemporary faith music at this year’s ceremony.
Amadodana Ase Wesile’s Monghali Mesia was another faith-based recording among the Album of the Year finalists, while Bucy Radebe was nominated for Best Traditional Faith Music Album for Praise & Worship in the Wilderness, Pt. 1.
For Hle, however, The Ground We’re On has now moved beyond nomination to become one of the year’s officially recognised South African albums.
The album’s success also adds to the significance of her SAMA32 campaign. Before the ceremony, Hle had emerged as one of the leading contenders, with her album appearing in both the genre-specific contemporary faith category and the broader Album of the Year field.
The award comes at a ceremony that has already produced victories across several parts of South Africa’s music industry, including amapiano, traditional music, jazz, gospel and contemporary popular music.
Kabza De Small has won Best Amapiano Album for Bab’Motha, while Makhadzi has taken Best Traditional Music Album for Sesi Ka Rose.
Hle’s victory adds one of the ceremony’s biggest awards to that list.
For an artist working within contemporary faith music, the result is particularly significant because Album of the Year is not restricted to her genre.
It places The Ground We’re On among the most highly recognised recordings of the SAMA32 awards.
The album that entered the ceremony as a contender has now emerged as the winner.