FOURTEEN companies that support the arts were honoured for helping keep the sector going.

FOURTEEN companies that support the arts were honoured for helping keep the sector going.

The 12th Business Day Business and Arts South Africa Awards ceremony was held on Monday at the Forum, Turbine Hall, Newtown, Johannesburg.

The companies were recognised for supporting projects aimed at developing the arts over the past year.

The event was hosted by performer Nkoto Malebye. Speakers at the awards ceremony were celebrated poet, performer, writer and speaker, Gcina Mhlope and Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana. Also in attendance was Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile, who represented the department, which is a key partner of Business and Arts South Africa (Basa).

A highlight on the night came with the announcement of the Chairman's Premier Award, which went to the Field Band Foundation and its sponsors.

The 2009 winners included several of South Africa's biggest corporates. Among them was MTN, which was named winner in the Single Project category for the South African Music Awards (Sama), and Rainbow Chicken for their support of the Catelina Theatre in the category of First Time Sponsor.

All the winners were presented with beautiful artwork from the Keiskamma Art Project, an Eastern Cape project that is sponsored by Murray and Roberts and was a nominee in both categories.

Complete list of winners:

Industrial Development Corporation for Mobile Exhibition

First Time Sponsor;

Rainbow Chicken Ltd for the Catelina Theatre's Increasing Access to the Arts;

First National Bank for the Joburg Art Fair; Exclusive Books for Ndodeni Library;

International Sponsorship

Standard Bank for Marlene Dumas' Intimate Relations'

Long Term Development;

Deutsche Bank Africa Foundation for Little Artists

Media Sponsorship;

The Times for its Art Page

Single Project;

MTN for the South African Music Awards

Sponsorship by a Small Business;

Symfony Digital Solutions for Chew Magazine

Sponsorship in Kind;

HCI Foundation for their support of the Baxter Theatre Centre;

Strategic Sponsorship

Sandton Business Improvement District for Sandton Central Arts Programme

Youth Sponsorship;

Absa for Addicted to Life;

Barloworld Artworks Mentor of the Year

Gary Ninow for Umcebo Trust;

And Evette Nowell for Valued Citizen's Initiative

Chairman's Premier Award

Field Band Foundation.