Vodacom Superstar Wins Sama: Best Pop Album

New York, NY (TOP40 Charts/ Artist Official website) -- Axene, one of SA's hottest new singing talents, proved her new star status at the 16th Annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs) on Saturday 17 April, when she was awarded the much coveted SAMA for Best Pop Album: English.

In late 2009 Axene was signed exclusively to Vodacom to release her debut album titled "16" through Vodafone live! � Vodacom's online and mobile content portal, where her fans could download their favourite tracks before it hit the CD stores.

The album title "16" was chosen because she recorded all thirteen tracks before her seventeenth birthday in September.

"As Vodacom we pride ourselves in being first to launch innovative initiatives and this partnership was no different; Axene and Vodacom's digital partnership is the first ever in South Africa whereby a major network operator teams up with an unknown artist and provides them with a platform to become the star we envisioned," says Romeo Kumalo, Executive Director: Commercial, Vodacom South Africa.

"We are excited to have played a part in Axene's success as a newcomer to the music industry."

Response to "16" from knowledgable music business experts and the public alike has been excellent. Her single "I'm Confused", reached Number 1 on the Home Brew charts of Highveld Stereo and Kfm in the Cape Province, spending an amazing five and six weeks respectively at the Number 1 spot, and was song of the year on Kfm's Homebrew chart for 2009.

Early 2010 saw Axene launch her energetic and infectious new single with the fun title, "How Cool Is That" which has proved to be yet another hit. Already it has spent six weeks at the top of the Home Brew charts on influential/heavyweight radio stations like Highveld 94.7 and Kfm 94.5.