Metro FM Music Awards DRAMA 🎤 Maphorisa & Kabza Da Small Speak Out – “We Were Disrespected!” 😤💣

The glitz and glamour of the Metro FM Music Awards 2025 were overshadowed by an unexpected and very public backlash, as superstar duo DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small walked away without a single major award—despite dominating the charts, streaming platforms, and airwaves over the past year.

The Amapiano pioneers, known collectively as the Scorpion Kings, were nominated in multiple categories, including Best Duo/Group, Song of the Year, and Best Amapiano, yet failed to secure a single win on the night.

According to insiders who attended the event at Mbombela Stadium, Maphorisa and Kabza were clearly upset as the show unfolded.

While they arrived in style and posed for photographers early in the evening, by the time the final awards were handed out, both stars had slipped out quietly—without addressing the press or celebrating with fellow artists.

Social media was ablaze within minutes, with fans accusing the awards of “industry politics,” “jealousy,” and even “sabotage.

The controversy only deepened when Maphorisa posted a cryptic Instagram story just hours after the event.

The black screen with bold white text read: “You can’t ignore what the streets are saying.

We know the truth.

” Fans immediately interpreted the message as a dig at the awards, sparking a flood of support from followers and fellow artists alike.

One fan tweeted: “Maphorisa & Kabza carried SA music this year.

This is straight-up disrespect.

Kabza Da Small, typically the quieter of the two, also made his feelings known—in his own subtle but powerful way.

He posted a throwback clip of one of their sold-out international performances with the caption: “No trophy can match this love.

” It was a clear message: they don’t need validation from awards when the streets—and the world—already crowned them kings.

But the real question is: how did they lose? With hit songs like “Asbonge,” “eMcimbini 2.

0,” and their massive joint album “Scorpion Season Reloaded”, the duo dominated not just radio play, but also Spotify and Apple Music’s top charts in 2024 and early 2025.

Their influence is undeniable.

Even international artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Drake have publicly praised their sound.

Yet the Metro FM Awards panel somehow overlooked all of that.

Some insiders are now pointing fingers at ongoing tensions between Maphorisa and certain industry gatekeepers.

He’s known for speaking his mind, refusing to play nice, and exposing shady music politics.

Could this snub be retaliation? Critics of the awards have long accused the organizers of favoritism and lack of transparency.

This year’s outrage might just be the tipping point.

Meanwhile, fans are rallying behind the duo.

The hashtag #JusticeForScorpionKings trended overnight, with thousands demanding accountability from the awards.

Even some fellow musicians have spoken out.

Rapper Emtee tweeted: “Maphorisa & Kabza not winning is like giving Ballon d’Or to a benchwarmer.

Let’s be serious.

Some are calling for a complete boycott of future Metro FM Awards, claiming they no longer reflect the true pulse of South African music.

Others are urging Maphorisa and Kabza to create their own awards platform, where the real impact of music is recognized, not just industry politics.

Despite the drama, the Scorpion Kings have remained focused.

Maphorisa has since teased new music on his Instagram, suggesting that the duo is ready to let the music speak louder than any trophy ever could.

“They can’t stop what’s already written,” he wrote in a follow-up post, alongside a snippet of an unreleased track that’s already sending fans into a frenzy.

At the end of the day, the Metro FM Awards may have failed to recognize Maphorisa and Kabza Da Small—but the streets, the fans, and the global music scene haven’t.

And if anything, this snub might have just ignited a fire that’s about to take their legacy to even greater heights.