The FynArts Advisory Board annually nominates a FynArts Legacy Awardee in honour of his or her longstanding and distinctive contribution to the arts in South Africa and beyond.
David’s interest and passion has, for forty years, been to explore a South African identity in the songs and
musicals that he has written and directed.
KAT AND THE KINGS, written together with the late Taliep Petersen had international success, winning the Laurence Olivier Award on the West End and being performed on Broadway. His musical, Die Ballade van Koos Sas, was the first musical to be performed in Afrikaans on a British stage.
In 2001 David presented KAROO KITAAR BLUES, a concert showcasing eccentric guitar and violin players from small towns in the Karoo and Namaqualand. It was performed in theatres around South Africa. A documentary about David’s work with these musicians has been shown internationally on television.
He received a GMT Lifelong Achievement Award in 2005 for his contribution
to Afrikaans music. He has also been honoured by SA Recording Rights Association and entered into their Composers Hall of Fame. In 2009 he was recognised by the Akademie van Wetenskap en Kuns and received their Prestige Award.
David holds an Hon Doctorate of Literature from the University of Cape Town (2007) and an Hon Doctorate of Philosophy (2014) from the University of Stellenbosch.
Previous recipients: Jans Rautenbach (2015), John Kani (2016), David Goldblatt (2017), Hugh Masekela – posthumously (2018), Sindiwe Magona (2019) and
Angelo Gobbato (2020/2021)