Telecel Ghana Music Awards board corrects nomination list

Formerly known as the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, the awards show will commemorate its 25th anniversary this year, honouring outstanding musical accomplishments by Ghanaian artists in genres such as highlife, hiplife, Afropop and traditional music.

The latest nominee update, ahead of the awards ceremony on 1 June and as part of a “commitment to fairness”, came in a statement published on 16 April.

The corrections involve artists Amerado, O’Kenneth and Xlim Kid. “After careful evaluation of all submissions, the board confirms that there were neither errors nor omissions in the nominations list, except for the following: ‘Lonely Road’ by O’Kenneth and Xlim Kid and ‘Kwaku Ananse’ by Amerado,” the TGMAs said. 

Regarding ‘Lonely Road’, the TGMAs clarified that the submission was initially filed as a featured work, but both artists’ management highlighted that it was a joint project. Consequently, the nomination has been corrected to reflect that.

In the case of ‘Kwaku Ananse’, the board admitted to initially nominating the remixed version of the song in the Best Highlife Song category instead of the original. This affected its consideration for the Most Popular Song of the Year category. However, after a review, the board has nominated the original version of ‘Kwaku Ananse’ in the Best Highlife Song category and included it for the Most Popular Song of the Year Award. With these corrections, Amerado now boasts six nominations at the awards. 

Meanwhile, nominees have been announced for outstanding categories including Producer of the Year, Audio Engineer of the Year and Best Video Director of the Year.

In the Producer of the Year category, the nominees include Kuami Eugene, Killbeatz, MOG Beatz, Liquid Beatz, IzJoe Beatz and Beatz Vampire, while contenders for the Audio Engineer of the Year trophy include Mix Master Garzy, Liquid Beatz, Killing Skills, Josh Blakk & Richard Nkwankwo, Loudaa, and Daniel Ayittah.

The Best Video Director of the Year nominees include Yaw SkyFace, Lauren Dunn, David Nicole Sey, Xbill Ebenezer, Rex, The Boldz, Babs Direction, Bani Wxrld, JWillz, and XBill Ebenezer.

Kuami Eugene now heads into this year’s awards as the most nominated artist after being shortlisted 18 times, followed by Stonebwoy with 17 and Sarkodie with eight. Last year’s biggest winner, Black Sherif, who converted five of his nominations into victories including for Artist of the Year, has also been nominated eight times.

Below is the updated nominee list:

Best Hiplife Song

• ‘Insha Allah’ – Okyeame Kwame ft. King Paluta
• ‘M’asesa’ – Jay Bahd ft. Kweku DMC, SkyFace SDW
• ‘Oh My Linda’ – Reggie Osei, Jay Bahd, O’Kenneth, Kweku DMC
• ‘Twatis’ – Oseikrom Sikana ft. Kwaku Smoke
• ‘Y’ahite Remix’ – King Paluta ft. Kuami Eugene
• ‘Eny3 Nwanwa’ – Guru

Best Highlife Song

• ‘Adoley’ – Camidoh
• ‘Party’ – Adina ft. Kofi Kinaata
• ‘Kweku Ananse’ – Amerado ft. Fameye
• ‘Manodzi’ – Stonebwoy ft. Angelique Kidjo
• ‘My Darling’ – Akwaboah ft. Kwabena Kwabena
• ‘Overthinking’ – Kofi Kinaata
• ‘Vero’ – Kelvyn Boy
• ‘Yolo’ – Kuami Eugene
• ‘You Dey Feel The Vibe’ – FRA! ft. Nana Yaw Ofori Atta
• ‘Africa Money’ – Wendy Shay

Best Hip Hop Song

• ‘Lonely Road’ – O’Kenneth, Xlimkid
• ‘Otan’ – Sarkodie
• ‘Scar’ – Gyakie ft. JDee
• ‘Sowutuom’ – Medikal
• ‘Dear God’ – Strongman
• ‘Yaya’ – Black Sherif
• ‘Akatanii’ – Kweku Smoke
• ‘The Hardest’ – Amerado

Best Afrobeats Song

• ‘Hossana’ – Banzy Banero
• ‘Broken Heart’ – DJ Vyrusky ft. Kuami Eugene
• ‘Otello’ – Fancy Gadam ft. Kuami Eugene
• ‘Liquor’ – KiDi
• ‘Monica’ – Kuami Eugene
• ‘Case Remix’ – Mr. Drew ft. Mophty
• ‘Goodsin’ – Olivetheboy

Best Afropop Song

• ‘Super Super’ – Efya
• ‘Not God Remix’ – Fameye ft. Stonebwoy
• ‘Rent Free’ – Gyakie
• ‘I Lied’ – KiDi
• ‘Terminator’ – King Promise
• ‘Bad Boy’ – Lasmid
• ‘Till We Die’ – Sarkodie ft. Ruger
• ‘Into The Future’ – Stonebwoy

Best Gospel Song

• ‘Tears of Joy’ – Patience Nyarko
• ‘Anuonyam’ – Mabel Okyere
• ‘Aseda’ – Nacee
• ‘Kaafo’ – Perez Muzik
• ‘Mo’ – Piesie Esther
• ‘100%’ – Scott Evans
• ‘Say Amen’ – Diana Hamilton
• ‘Victory’ – Joyce Blessing

Best Reggae/Dancehall Song

• ‘Truth’ – DSL
• ‘Stubborn SoulJah’ – Epixode
• ‘Efiekuma Love’ – Kofi Kinaata
• ‘San Bra’ – Samini
• ‘Non-Stop’ – Stonebwoy
• ‘Eyeball Remix’ – Ras Kuuku ft. Samini

Collaboration of the Year

• ‘Liquor’ – KiDi ft. Stonebwoy
• ‘Lonely Road’ – O’Kenneth, Xlimkid
• ‘Case Remix’ – Mr Drew ft. Mophty
• ‘Twatis’ – Oseikrom Sikani ft. Kweku Smoke
• ‘Kwaku Ananse Remix’ – Amerado ft. Fameye
• ‘Y’ahitte Remix’ – King Paluta ft Kuami Eugene
• ‘You Dey Feel The Vibe’ – FRA ft Nana Yaw Ofori Atta
• ‘My Darling’ – Akwaboah ft Kwabena Kwabena

International Collaboration of the Year

• ‘Scar’ – Gyakie ft. JBee
• ‘Butter My Bread’ – Jyzno ft. Lasmid
• ‘Terminator’ – King Promise ft. Yung Jon
• ‘Manodzi’ – Stonebwoy ft. Angelique Kidjo
• ‘Cryptocurrency’ – Kuami Eugene ft. Rotimi
• ‘Wotowoto Season’ – Odumodublvck ft. Black Sherif
• ‘Till We Die’ – Sarkodie ft. Ruger
• ‘Perfect Combi’ – King Promise ft. Gabzy

Best Highlife Artist

• Abiana
• Akwaboah
• Kofi Kinaata
• Kuami Eugene
• FRA

Best Rap Performance

• ‘The Hardest’ – Amerado
• ‘Warning’ – Eno Barony
• ‘Boasiako’ – FimFim
• ‘5th August (7)’ – Lyrical Joe
• ‘We Made It’ – Medikal
• ‘Otan’ – Sarkodie
• ‘Dear God’ – Strongman

Best Male Vocal Performance

• ‘Don’t Cry (Kaafo)’ – Perez Muzik
• ‘Gyidie’ – Kyei Mensa
• ‘You Are Great’ – Kofi Karikari ft Eternity
• ‘Hankipanki’ – Josh Blakk
• ‘Brown Skin Girl’ – Camidoh
• ‘I Lied’ – KiDi

Best Female Vocal Performance

• ‘Baby’ – Adina
• ‘Far Away’ – Abiana
• ‘His Grace’ – Lordina The Soprano
• ‘Hold My Hands’ – Queendalyn Yurglee
• ‘Temple’ – Niiella
• ‘Make Me Believe’ – TiTi Owusu

Record of the Year

• ‘Reckless & Sweet’ – Amaarae
• ‘Far Away’ – Abiana
• ‘Manodzi’ – Stonebwoy ft. Angelique Kidjo
• ‘Iyawo’ – Josh Blakk
• ‘Me Dan Wo’ – Joe Mettle ft. Kweku Teye
• ‘My Helper’ – Efya

Best Music Video

• ‘Manodzi’ – Stonebwoy ft. Angelique Kidjo
• ‘Wasted Eyes’ – Amaarae
• ‘Paradise’ – Black Sherif
• ‘Fate’ – Kuami Eugene
• ‘Broken Heart’ – DJ Vyrusky ft. Kuami Eugene
• ‘100%’ – Scott Evans
• ‘Oil In My Head’ – Black Sherif
• ‘Kweku Playman’ – Kweku Smoke
• ‘Into the Future’ – Stonebwoy
• ‘Cryptocurrency’ – Kuami Eugene ft. Rotimi

Album/EP of the Year

• Taste of Africa – Abiana
• Fountain Baby – Amaarae
• Love & Chaos – Kuami Eugene
• Planning & Plotting – Medikal
• 5th Dimension – Stonebwoy

Most Popular Song of the Year

• ‘Hossana’ – Bandy Banero
• ‘Kwaku Ananse’ – Amerado
• ‘Yaya’ – Black Sherif
• ‘Scar’ – Gyakie ft. JBee
• ‘Victory’ – Joyce Blessing
• ‘Liquor’ – KiDi ft. Stonebwoy
• ‘Terminator’ – King Promise
• ‘Monica’ – Kuami Eugene
• ‘Case Remix’ – Mr Drew ft. Mophty
• ‘Aseda’ – Nacee
• ‘Goodsin’ – Olivetheboy
• ‘Otan’ – Sarkodie
• ‘Into the Future’ – Stonebwoy

Best Hiplife/Hip Hop Artist

• Amerado
• Black Sherif
• Medikal
• Jay Bhad
• King Paluta
• Sarkodie

Best Reggae/Dancehall Artist

• Epixode
• Ras Kuuku
• Stonebwoy
• Samini

Best New Artist

• Bandy Banero
• DSL
• King Paluta
• Maya Blu
• Olivetheboy
• Oseikrom Sikanii

Best Afrobeat/Afropop Artist

• Gyakie
• Camidoh
• KiDi
• King Promise
• Mr. Drew
• Efya
• Wendy Shay

Best Gospel Artist

• Diana Hamilton
• Joe Mettle
• Joyce Blessing
• Mabel Okyere
• Nacee
• Perez Muzik
• Piesie Esther
• Scott Evans

Best African Artist

• Rema
• Asake
• Burna Boy
• Tyla
• Davido
• Jzyno

Songwriter of the Year

• Perez Muzik 
• Fameye
• DSL 
• Sarkodie
• Akwaboah 
• Stonebwoy 

Artist of the Year

• Black Sherrif
• King Promise
• Kuami Eugene
• Nacee
• Sarkodie
• Stonebwoy

Producer of the Year

• Kuami Eugene
• Killbeatz
• MOG Beatz
• Liquid Beatz
• IzJoe Beatz
• Beatz Vampire

Audio Engineer of the Year

• Mix Master Garzy
• Liquid Beatz
• Killing Skills
• Josh Blakk & Richard Nkwankwo
• Loudaa
• Daniel Ayittah

Best Video Director of the Year (awarded to both director and artist)

• Yaw SkyFace (‘Manodzi’ by Stonebwoy ft Angelique Kidjo)
• Lauren Dunn (‘Wasted Eyes’ by Amaarae)
• David Nicole Sey (‘Paradise’ by Black Sheriff)
• Xbill Ebenezer (‘Fate’ by Kuami Eugene)
• Rex (‘Broken Heart’ by DJ Vyrusky ft. Kuami Eugene)
• The Boldz (‘100%’ by Scott Evans)
• Babs Direction (‘Oil In My Head’ by Black Sheriff)
• Bani Wxrld (‘Kweku Playman’ by Kweku Smoke)
• JWillz (‘Into The Future’ by Stonebwoy)
• XBill Ebenezer (‘Cryptocurrency’ by Kuami Eugene ft. Rotimi)