Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2021: Day 1 winners

Produced by event company Charterhouse Ghana, the awards, which are in their 22nd year, celebrate outstanding musical feats in the country and across Africa. This year, the VGMAs are running under the theme, Stronger With Music.

Key winners on the night included Richie Mensah, who picked up the awards for Sound Engineer of the Year and Producer of the Year. Gospel singer MOG Music won his second consecutive Male Vocalist of the Year trophy, while rapper Kofi Kinaata secured the Songwriter of the Year Award for ‘Behind the Scenes’.

Before the event, an optimistic Kofi Kinaata predicted victory in that category. “As for the Songwriter of the Year, hands down,” he said. “I am not bragging but looking at the songs involved, that is already inside the basket. It is what it is. Whatever will happen will happen, but Songwriter of the Year is hands down.”

Highlife veteran Bob Pinodo, nicknamed ‘The Show Master of Africa’, was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Adina, the most nominated female artist in the history of the VGMAs, went home with the Record of the Year Award for ‘Daddy's Little Girl’, which she composed for her late father. South Africa's Master KG, popular for ‘Jerusalema’, won the African Artist of the Year Award.

The night saw performances from top acts including Okyeame Kwame, Fameye, Epixode, Cina Soul and Unsung winner Nanky, among others.

The 2021 VGMAs will conclude on Saturday 26 June with the final batch of awards, including Artist of the Year whose contenders include Adina, KiDi, Diana Hamilton, Kuami Eugene, Medikal and Sarkodie.

Below are all the Day 1 winners:

Instrumentalist of the Year

• Joshua Moszi
• Nana Yaw Sarfo Prince
• Sennah Emmanuel
• Bludo Enoch
• Owuraku Kissi

Songwriter of the Year

• Diana Hamilton – ‘Adom’
• Kofi Kinaata – ‘Behind the Scenes’
• Adina – ‘Hyedin’
• Joe Mettle – ‘Yesu Mo’
• Abiana – ‘Adun Lei’
• Epixode – ‘Too Much’

Record of the Year

• ‘Be Your Own Beautiful’ – Adomaa
• ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ – Adina
• ‘Fancy’ – Amaarae
• ‘Die 4 U’ – Cina Soul
• ‘Too Much’ – Epixode
• ‘Diplomatic Teef’ – Trigmatic
• ‘Commot’ – Worlasi
• ‘Mmusuo’ – YaaYaa

Male Vocalist of the Year

• KiDi – ‘One Man’ ft. Adina
• Joe Mettle – ‘Yesu Mo’
• Akwaboah – ‘Posti Me’
• MOG Music – ‘Oguamma’
• Kyei Mensah – ‘Take It All’
• Kingsley Amporful – ‘God’

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Abiana – 'Adun Lei'
• Adina – ‘Hear Me’
• Yaa Yaa – ‘Mmusuo’
• Cina Soul – ‘Die 4 U
• Efe Grace – ‘Lord Have Your Way’
• Enuonyam – ‘Fill Me’

Best Video of the Year

• ‘Why’ – Adina
• ‘Fancy’ – Amaarae
• ‘Adom’ – Diana Hamilton.
• ‘Cold’ – Joey B
• ‘Open Gate’ – Kuami Eugene
• ‘On the Street’ – Kweku Smoke
• ‘Let Me Know’ – Mr Drew
• ‘Baddest Boss’ – MzVee
• ‘Kpa’ – Okyeame Kwame
• ‘Thomas Pompoyeyaw Rmx’ – Pappy Kojo ft. Busiswa Gqulu

Best Group of the Year

• Bethel Revival Choir
• DopeNation
• Dead Peepol
• Keche

Traditional Artist of the Year

• Mewnhyia Tetwe Nwom Kro

Music for Good Award

• Yaa Yaa

Sound Engineer of the Year

• Richie Mensah

Producer of the Year

• Richie Mensah

African Artist of the Year

• Burna Boy
• Davido
• Wizkid
• Master KG
• Fireboy DML
• Omah Lay

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Bob Pinodo