Makhadzi wins Best Female Artist At Metro FM Awards

Despite tensions with her record label and a late postponement of a show in Zambia, Makhadzi won the award she’s been longing for at this past weekend’s Metro FM Music Awards.

“We were parking the car when I heard them call my name and I ran from the car. I removed my shoes, I was like ‘no one must fetch this award’ it’s my first award and I dropped everything for it. I was like, no matter who’s on stage, I’m going to fetch it myself,” Makhazdi told The Citizen backstage just after abruptly accepting her award.

• Makhadzi Life In Danger after quitting Open Mic: Here is why

When her name was announced, she was not around to accept it and the host had to move on to the net category and accepted it on her behalf. But she then came running from nowhere, to make her speech during the announcement of the next category.

“I didn’t care who was on stage, honestly speaking, it’s very much exciting especially as my first award. I really wanted to hold it myself.”

Makhadzi wins Best Female Artist At Metro FM Awards amidst row with record label Open Mic

Making last-minute arrangements

Explaining why she arrived late to the awards, she said it was because of the postponement of her show in Zambia.

“I was supposed to catch my flight and when they cancelled it, I told my driver to come fetch me and I had to organise a dress same time because I wanted to come here. They postponed around 5:30pm before 6pm, and I came from Pretoria, which is about four to five hours to get here. So I had to organise everything in the last minute so I can come here.”

This was the singer’s first Metro FM Music Awards, “Out of all the South African music awards, I was only left with Metro FM [to win] and today I got it. I work hard and I feel like I deserve it, because I sleep in the studio”.

Makhadzi beat Brenda Mtambo, Simmy and Nomfundo Moh among others, for the Best Female Artist award. “Whichever queen wins, it’s going to beautiful,” Simmy told The Citizen ahead of the awards on the black carpet.

Contract dispute

Makhadzi, who real name is Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona, is currently caught in a tussle with her record label Open Mic Productions.

According to reports, the two parties are in disagreement about the length of her contract. However, the muso did not want to speak about the contract dispute on Saturday.

It has been reported that Open Mic Productions is adamant that Makahdzi is still contracted to the label, in a three-year contract, which apparently expired in March. To which Makhadzi claims she never had a copy of the contract.

The singer is now under her own label, Makhadzi Entertainment. On Friday, Makhadzi released song titled Niazwifha under her own record label, but it has since been taken down by YouTube because of a copyright claim made by Open Mic Productions.

The well attended Metro FM Music Awards took over Mbombela over the weekend and some of the night’s biggest winners included AKA and Betusile Mcinga.