SA artists win international awards

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Pretoria - Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile has congratulated South African artists, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones, for scooping top honours at the prestigious Tony Awards.

Co-owners of Handspring Puppet Company, Kohler and Jones, will be honoured at the 65th Tony Awards, on June 12 in New York, for designing and delivering props for the Broadway hit play War Horse.

The Cape Town-based company has already accepted the honour for the exclusive award, meaning that no other puppet-making companies were eligible for it.

"It is certainly a very exciting play which got everyone talking. We look forward to seeing it in South Africa," said Mashatile.

Mashatile also congratulated the homebrewed film maker Xoliswa Sithole who has been nominated for a British Film and Television Award (BAFTA) for her documentary "The Orphans of Nkandla."

Sithole has been nominated in two categories of the BAFTA to be awarded on 22 May.

This happened immediately after Sithole was announced the winner of the Peabody Award in the USA. The Peabody Award Ceremony will also take place at the end of May in the USA.

"These artists have done South Africa proud and their recognition will serve as encouragement for artists in the country. South Africa joins the world in saluting these great artists," said Mashatile.