Port Elizabeth-born Belinda Davids receives first highest honor, announces SA tour

Belinda Davids has been conferred a special recognition with one of the highest honors from the UK music industry and returns to South Africa later this year for a limited series of her concerts in Cape Town.
The Port Elizabeth-born Australia artiste was ecstatic to receive the International Special Recognition Award at the 2019 UK’s National Tribute Music Awards held in Droitwich last week.
Famous for her role in the hit show The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston, Belinda received numerous accolades in acknowledgment of her “global contribution to tribute performing” and “ground-breaking influence on the music industry.”
“The International Special Recognition Award is awarded to a tribute act that is well-loved and highly respected as the best in their genre on a global level,” the NTMA judges said in a released statement. “Belinda Davids’ international fan base is a testament to her musical talent and captivating stage presence. Sometimes it’s difficult to make a name for yourself as a tribute act in your own country, so breaking the international music scene must have seemed impossible. And yet Belinda has accomplished that.”
Speaking further, “This award is in recognition of a performer who has made a global impact to tribute performing, gaining thousands of fans worldwide. Talented, authentic and professional beyond all else, Belinda has made a global, groundbreaking influence on the music industry on behalf of tribute acts everywhere. Regularly mistaken for the real deal and highly regarded by the industry, she is recognized as one of the most skilled in the field.”
After her triumphant victory at BBC TV’s “Even Better Than The Real Thing” musical contest in 2017, Belinda has been fascinated by the UK audiences’ support for her and the world-class tribute show over the years.
Belinda said: “I feel honored to have had my life’s work and my craft recognized, especially here in the UK and I remain humble in doing my utmost to keep the music of Whitney Houston alive. It doesn’t matter how talented I am, I will never want to fill her shoes but instead, pay tribute by honoring her legacy and sharing the gift of music she blessed us with.”
“As an artiste, there’s nothing more beautiful than knowing that you affect people, that you make a difference in people’s lives, in whatever way that is,” she further said.
In addition to receiving the award, Belinda performed three Whitney Houston tracks for the televised red-carpet event which was held at the stately Chateau Impney in Worcestershire.
It was also reported that later this year, The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston featuring Belinda Davids will return to South Africa.
This globally-successful production is set to perform a series of special orchestral concerts at Artscape Opera House in Cape Town, scheduled from 20th November to 1st December 2019.
She is delighted to return home to host The Mother City audiences in November, accompanied by an orchestra for the very first time in South Africa.
“This will be the only series of concerts I will be able to perform in South Africa this year, so I am already preparing for that day. It’s always great to be on stage at home in SA and share my passion for singing with my countrymen. The show’s production team and I are working on delivering an amazing orchestra performance that will leave the audiences anticipating for next edition,” she says.
The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston featuring Belinda Davids will also host a series of special orchestral concerts holding at The Mandela at Joburg Civic theatre from 5th – 28th June 2020.