- Thabo Smol submitted his debut solo album, Di Thupa Tsa Smol, for consideration at the 69th Annual Grammy Awards
- The album landed on the ballot in the Best Alternative Jazz Album category, with first-round voting running until 22 October 2026
- Mzansi peeps reacted after an X user pointed out that the Black Motion split may have been the turning point for Thabo Smol
Source: Instagram
Thabo Smol is having a moment. The South African musician's debut solo album, Di Thupa Tsa Smol, has been submitted for consideration at the 69th Annual Grammy Awards, landing on the ballot in the Best Alternative Jazz Album category. The news sent social media into a spin on Monday, 12 October 2026.
X user @Melo_Malebo was among the first to share the "For Your Consideration" ballot image, captioning it:
"Huge milestone for Thabo Smol. His solo project, Di Thupa Tsa Smol, is officially on the Grammy ballot. Maybe the Black Motion split worked in his favour after all. 🔥"
What being on the Grammy ballot actually means
It is worth clarifying exactly what this milestone represents. First-round voting for the 69th Grammy Awards opened on 12 October 2026 and runs through 22 October 2026. Being on the ballot means Recording Academy members can vote for the album during this window, but it does not guarantee a nomination. The nominations announcement is scheduled for 16 November 2026. As one clear-headed commenter put it, it is the equivalent of submitting a CV, not landing the interview.
The album falls within the eligibility period, which covered releases from 31 August 2025 through 28 August 2026. This cycle also marks the debut of five new Grammy categories, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance and Best Traditional Folk Album.
Mzansi reacts to Thabo Smol's Grammy news
The response from fans and netizens was largely warm, with many pointing to Thabo Smol's personal journey as part of what made the news so meaningful.
@paile_jabu said:
"Beautiful beautiful album - we knew it ❤️ congratulations to him"
@Stylecandii wrote:
"He deserves more breakthroughs after what he went through. 🥺🙏🏾🤍"
@SMadlangis44093 added:
"God really came through for this brother"
@NkanyisoSS noted:
"I like how humble he is. I listened to him talking to MacG yesterday."
@Forsh007 highlighted the significance of the artist credit, writing:
"Nice thing about this, he is using his name and not 'Black Motion' because after the fallout he kept using the Black Motion name. Ai, we thank God he found himself."
Not everyone was swept up in the wave, though. @DaBrave_OJ offered a reality check:
"He just submitted to be considered to be nominated. He is not nominated yet. It's like submitting your CV for a job application, not that you got called for an interview yet."
@BhutRudolph pushed back on the narrative that the Black Motion split was the catalyst for growth:
"I hate comments like these. They were still learning the industry as Black Motion. I was on camera as a child, but I make more money behind the scenes today. Time and understanding of the business change things. Don't mistake growth after a split as proof that the group was the problem."
Source: Instagram
Tyla submits Babalwa M collaboration Grammy consideration
Meanwhile, Thabo Smol isn't the only South African musician to submit his music for Grammy consideration.
Briefly News reported that Tyla officially submitted her A*Pop collaboration featuring Babalwa M for Grammy consideration.
The track has been entered into the Best African Music Performance category at the upcoming GRAMMY Awards.
Source: Briefly News
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