Call for nominations: Ghana Music Awards USA 2022

Put together by Don’s Music Production and first held in October 2020, the awards platform seeks to recognise and encourage Ghanaian musicians in the diaspora, particularly in the US. It also functions with the vision of actively promoting and celebrating Ghanaian music internationally.

The call is open to Ghanaian musicians based in the US. To qualify, songs entered must have been released between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021. According to the organisers, the early call for nominations for US-based Ghanaian artists is in line with the scheme’s goal to produce a top-notch show this year.

The deadline for filing nominations is 31 January.

Last year, GMA-USA awarded artistic feats across 27 categories. Gospel singer Diana Hamilton emerged as 2021’s biggest winner, taking home the coveted Artist of the Year trophy, as well as the Gospel Song of the Year and the Gospel Artist of the Year awards.

“GMA-USA Will change the Ghanaian mindset about award ceremonies,” Don’s Music Production CEO Dennis Boafo told Music in Africa. “We want to infuse our culture and music in our ceremonies. We have always been only projecting the music component of our culture but it is time to fully project our culture on these bigger stages for the world to learn and appreciate what we have.”

This year’s nominees announcement has been slated for 16 April in Yonkers, New York.

Below are the categories for US-based artists, and interested participants can file their nominations here:

• US-Based Discovery Act of the Year
• US-Based African Act of the Year
• US-Based Female Artist of the Year
• US Based Male Artiste of the Year
• Best-US Based Afropop Artist of the Year
• US-Based Best Gospel Song of the Year
• US-Based Gospel Artiste of the Year
• US-Based Best Male Vocalist of the Year
• US-Based Female Vocalist of the Year
• Afro Pop Song of the Year
• US-Based Best Rapper of the Year
• Most Popular US-Based Artist of The Year
• Best-US Based DJ of the Year
• US-Based Producer / Sound Engineer of the Year
• US-Based Music Video of the Year
• US-Based Highlife Song of the Year
• Best US-Based Highlife Artist of the Year