SPORTS Minister Fikile Mbalula will announce the nominees for the 2013 South African Sports Awards on Wednesday.

The department has set aside R21-million for the November spectacle taking place at Sun City in North West.

The glamorous awards, now in their third year, are the pride and joy of "Mr Razzmatazz".

Last year, there was an outcry after it emerged that Mbalula wanted to bring Beyoncé to headline the entertainment for the night at a cost of about R20-million.

The idea was shelved and the awards ended up featuring an all-South African lineup.

This year, a source close to the organising committee said US pop sensation Ciara's name had been bandied about, but Mbalula scrapped the idea, fearing a repeat of last year's backlash.

"We're probably going to go with local singers again.

"But nothing has been confirmed at the moment."

The first year boasted Vivica A Fox, Regina King and Mbalula's favourite girl, Brandy, on stage.

In a short interview with Sunday World on Friday morning, Mbalula said the sports awards were largely sponsored, but the department also had to fork out money.

"We must not detract from the purpose of the awards by focusing on the amount spent. Let's focus on our sporting stars," the minister said.

Just hours after he was criticised by the DA for not intervening and saving the Soweto Marathon, Mbalula released a statement saying the department would try to rescue the race.

Winston Rabotapi, the opposition party's spokesman on sport and recreation, criticised Mbalula for not providing the R1-million shortfall.

"Mbalula has the opportunity to show that his priorities lie in providing for sporting platforms that are to the benefit of development, and is not just about supporting 'razzmatazz' events."

In the statement, Mbalula's spokesman, Paena Galane, said the department would try to save the marathon.

"Having interacted with the stakeholders about the Soweto Marathon, we are of the view that the problem is not money but boardroom politics," he said.

Galane said the department would make an announcement next week regarding the progress of the plans.