It is the only independent music award ceremony of its kind in South Africa.

The Ghoema Music Award came under heavy criticism in 2019 when the decision was made to remove the hit song "Die Land", sung by various artists, thereby blocking any recognition the song has achieved.

The Ghoema Music Awards ("Ghoemas") are the official independent awards ceremony where artists, bands, musicians and songwriters of the Afrikaans music industry are honoured for certain achievements over a specific period.

The Ghoemas function without the attribution of any exclusive brands or copyrights and are independent of the national press, media, and record companies.

The Ghoema Music Awards accolades are made after a free and fair consistent enrolment process, nominations, followed by a voting process which includes public voting and a judging panel consisting of industry experts.