Where boundaries blur and ingenuity takes flight: The 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners announced

 

Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 April 2025 — Standard Bank and the National Arts Festival are proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (SBYA). As the awards reach the milestone anniversary of 40 years, a new generation of trailblazers takes their place in this storied legacy. These are six exceptional artists who are not just reflecting the world but reshaping it.

 

Through the SBYA, Standard Bank has celebrated the pulse and potential of South African art, honouring creators who challenge convention and expand the contours of creativity.

 

“We are proud to support this new generation of visionaries as they continue to shape the future of our cultural landscape and ensure that our creative heritage thrives for decades to come,” said Bonga Sebesho, Standard Bank's Group Head of Sponsorship.

 

More than 180 directors, actors, dancers, playwrights, musicians, poets, and visual artists have received this honour since its inception – a constellation of talent that includes William Kentridge, Andrew Buckland, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Mbongeni Ngema​, and Nduduzo Makhathini.

 

Meet the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winners

 

Already lauded both at home and abroad, this year’s recipients are bold, boundary-breaking voices, shaping South Africa’s creative narrative on a global scale.

 

• Asanda Ruda (Dance): From the community halls of Soweto to performing internationally, Ruda’s choreography is steeped in history, movement, and myth. A member of the Pina Bausch Foundation, she has captivated audiences with Kemet (Black Lands), her acclaimed solo work that earned her the 2025 Choreographers Research Residency Award in Paris.
  
  
• Siyasanga “Siya” Charles (Jazz): A magna cum laude Juilliard-graduate trombonist, Charles’s career is already a global story, shaped by collaborations with luminaries like Hugh Masekela and Grammy-winning artists. Through her Siya Charles Sextet, she’s redefining South African jazz, layering the country’s rich musical traditions with a fresh, fearless sensibility.
  
  
• Muneyi (Music): Limpopo-born Muneyi’s music pulses with memory, myth, and meaning. His lyrics, inspired by his Makhulu (grandmother), explore love, loss, and identity, transcending language while remaining deeply rooted in the cadences of Tshivenda storytelling.
  
  
• Modise Sekgothe (Poetry): Sekgothe isn’t just a poet—he’s a shapeshifter of sound, rhythm, and form. From Washington DC to Gothenburg and Brussels, his words have reverberated on global stages, bending the boundaries of spoken word into new realms of performance art.
  
  
• Calvin Ratladi (Theatre): Ratladi’s interdisciplinary vision is unapologetically expansive. A SAFTA-winning artist, he garnered Ovation Awards at the National Arts Festival and showcased his work at festivals in Germany and Luxembourg, pushing South African theatre into new, immersive dimensions.
  
  
• Nyakallo Maleke (Visual Arts): Maleke’s drawings are journeys in and of themselves—maps of migration, vulnerability, and spatial memory. With exhibitions across Europe and a Master’s from Switzerland’s edhea, her work expands the conversation around drawing as both medium and metaphor.

 

A legacy worth celebrating

 

Winning an SBYA award is more than a career milestone – it’s a launchpad for bold artistic exploration and a gateway to opportunities that transcend borders. Each winner receives financial support, mentorship, and the chance to showcase their work at the National Arts Festival, ensuring that their creative journey continues to evolve and flourish.

 

National Arts Festival’s CEO, Monica Newton, adds, "The Standard Bank Young Artist Awards continue to ignite the future of South African arts by celebrating visionary talent and inspiring new creative possibilities. We’ve been proud to stand alongside our partner Standard Bank for 40 years; identifying and showcasing the artists who are shaping South Africa's cultural landscape. To the winners, congratulations, we are honoured to support your journey to Makhanda and beyond.”

 

A commitment to creativity

 

As much as these awards honour individual achievement, they also reflect Standard Bank’s longstanding commitment to the arts. Through sustained investment and support, the bank continues to play a vital role in preserving, celebrating, and expanding South Africa’s creative legacy.

 

As these six exceptional artists prepare to showcase their work at the National Arts Festival, the path ahead promises new opportunities, deeper conversations, and a continued commitment to reshaping what art can be.

 

Access bios, images from the event and of the winners here.

 

ENDS

 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Content Bloc: Neo Motlhala - neo@contentbloc.co.za 

Standard Bank PR Lead: Obakeng Mooke – Obakeng.Mooke@standardbank.co.za

Standard Bank Media Relations Mailbox: mediarelations@standardbank.co.za

 

NOTES TO EDITOR

 

About Standard Bank Arts Sponsorships

 

Standard Bank is a proud supporter of the arts. We have been a champion of the arts for over 40 years, and  we have made significant contributions to the appreciation and growth of the arts. For more than four decades, we invested in art as much as in artists, because we believe in making dreams possible through our sponsorship of the National Arts Festival (NAF), the Standard Bank Young Artist (SBYA) awards, and the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. These are platforms for creative expression that present an opportunity to connect our customers and staff to their passion points.  Our legacy in the arts casts the spotlight on talent, and we recognise and reward creative excellence.

 

About The Standard Bank Young Artist Awards

The National Arts Festival established the Young Artist Awards in 1981 to acknowledge emerging young South African artists who demonstrated outstanding artistic talent. These prestigious awards are presented annually to deserving artists in different disciplines – dance, jazz, music, theatre, visual art, performance art and film – affording them national exposure and acclaim. Standard Bank took over the sponsorship of the awards in 1984 and has presented Young Artist Awards in all the major arts disciplines over their 40-year sponsorship, as well as posthumous and special recognition awards. The winners feature on the Main Programme of the National Arts Festival in Makhanda and receive financial support for their festival participation, as well as a cash prize.

 

Stay Connected with Standard Bank Arts

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Facebook: @StandardBankArts
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Website: www.standardbank.com/sponsorship