Helena Hettema, established cabaret artist, actress and songwriter received the top achiever (November) 2007 Laureate Award from her alma mater, the University of Pretoria and was also nominated (2006) for the Checkers/Shopwrite SA Woman of the Year Awards, Arts and Culture category.

Helena has nine CDs to her credit which have received awards ranging from SAMA and FNB Vita nominations and most recently, the SABC 2 Geraas (GMT) Award for the best solo female vocalist 2005 for the CD “Divided Heart”, second to Laurika Rauch in the Vonk Magazine album of the year award (female). In 2007 she received a Laureate Award from the University of Pretoria’s Alumni for her contribution to the arts.

She also won The Herald newspaper, Port Elizabeth, Showtime Award for the best cabaret in The Barn, Opera House, PE for the show “Divided Heart” based on the CD. In 2005 she was nominated among the ten most popular female SA artists for the “Huisgenoot” Skouspel Tempo Award. In July 2006, Helena was voted by viewers of KykNet among the top ten South African “divas” with others such as Sibongile Khumalo and Laurika Rauch. She has performed in places such as London, Holland, Belgium, Italy and New Zealand singing in English, Afrikaans, French, Italian and Flemish.

Some Press comment:

Her interpretations of the music of  Brel and Piaf are almost legendary. She is one of South Africa’s glossy by-products of the cabaret circuit- Rooi Rose

“She has mastered Brel – made it (the music) her own – Noord-Transvaler Metro

“Powerful voice that touches the heart strings” – Business Day

“Her music is impressive, mostly because of her remarkably deep and resonant voice.” – Cape Argus

“ Een van ons beste sangeresse” – Rapport

“Sy sny dieperas die vel” – Martjie Roos, Beeld

“ The Pretoria News (22 November 2006) – said of the live show at the Liberty Theatre of the Square – Jhb: “And boy can she sing, Hettema has a voice that ranges from crushed silk to wet gravel and she uses it with sensitivity and skill. It was a stirring performance…great opportunity to see one of South Africa’s finest performers in action.” Peter van der Merwe.