The countdown to Ghana’s biggest night in music officially begins as the full list of nominees for the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) has been unveiled, setting the stage for one of the most competitive editions in recent memory.
The nominees were announced at TGMA’s official unveiling show held on Saturday, March 14.
Leading the charge in the Artiste of the Year category are Black Sherif, Medikal, Stonebwoy, Wendy Shay, Sarkodie, and Diana Hamilton, all of whom have enjoyed strong chart performances and fan support over the past year.
In one of the most talked-about inclusions, dancehall heavyweight Shatta Wale makes his return to the awards after a seven-year ban, joining Medikal and Beeztrap Kotm in the Best Hiplife Song category for Shoulder.
Albums such as Black Sherif’s Iron Boy, Medikal’s Disturbation 2, and Gyakie’s After Midnight are in the running for Album/EP of the Year, while emerging talents Kojo Blak, Gonaboy, Lalid, and Adom Kiki battle for Best New Artiste.
The awards cover 26 categories, ranging from Artiste of the Year, Best New Artiste, and Album/EP of the Year, to Best Reggae/Dancehall, Gospel, Hiplife/HipHop, and Collaboration of the Year.
The date for the awards night will be announced later, as fans eagerly await to see who will take home Ghana’s top music honors this year.
Below is the full nomination list:
Artiste of the Year
Black Sherif
Medikal
Wendy Shay
Sarkodie
Diana Hamilton
Best Hiplife Song
Medikal ft Shatta Wale & Beeztrap Kotm – Shoulder
Fameye ft Medikal – Habit
Ko-Jo Cue ft Arathejay & Ofori Amponsah – Tonton
Kojo Blak ft Sarkodie – Next Door
Sarkodie ft Rweru Flick – Messiah
Rwesi Amewuga – Badness
Audio Engineer of the Year
Francis Kweku Osei – Chaana
Kwame Yeboah – Akoma
Samuel Laryea Otoo – For My Good
KC_Beatz – Afa
Robo Dabeat Scientist – Kwame Macho
Daniel Grüll – Enso Nyame Y3
Record of the Year
Samini ft Soweto Gospel Choir – Chaana
Asiama – Aroma
Enam – Afa
Soul Winners ft Joe Mettle – For My Good
Rama Blak – Kwame Macho
Kwabena Kwabena – Enso Nyame Y3
Most Popular Song of the Year
Kidi ft Olivetheboy & Kojo Blak – Gymnastic
Black Sherif – Sacrifice
Wendy Shay ft Olivetheboy – Crazy Love
Rojo Blak ft Kelvyn Boy – Excellent
Medikal ft Shatta Wale & Beeztrap Kotm – Shoulder
Lasmid – Olivia
Moliy, Shenseea, Srillibeng & Silent Addy – Shake It To The Max Remix
Piesie Esther – Nyame Ye
King Paluta – Foko
Album/EP of the Year
Black Sherif – Iron Boy
Stonebwoy – Torcher
Gyakie – After Midnight
Medikal – Disturbation 2
Wendy Shay – Ready
Kweku Smoke – Walk With Me
Best New Artiste
Kojo Blak
Gonaboy
Lalid
Adom Kiki
Best Reggae / Dancehall Artiste
Samini
Ras Kuuku
Stonebwoy
Best Gospel Artiste
Piesie Esther
Diana Hamilton
Mogmusic
Kofi Owusu Peprah
Mabel Okyere
Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta
Best Urban / Contemporary Gospel Song
Ewura Abena – Ebefa
Kofi Owusu Peprah – Big God Afro
Diana Hamilton ft Ntorzo Mbambo & Elder Mireru – Aha Ye (The Good Place)
Scott Evans – Ready
Kofi Karikari – Stamina
Carl Clottey ft Luigi Maclean – Yehoda
Best Reggae / Dancehall Song
Moliy, Shenseea, Skillibeng & Silent Addy – Shake It To The Max RMX
Stonebwoy – Torcher
Cina Soul feat Stonebwoy – Larger Than Life (LTL)
Samini – Summer King
Arathe Jay ft Stonebwoy – Talisman
Amerado – Pharaoh
International Collaboration of the Year
Moliy, Shenseea, Skillibeng, Silent Addy – Shake It To The Max RMX
Black Sherif ft Fireboy DML – So It Goes
Wendy Shay ft Bedjine, Phina & Guchi – Too Late Remix (2.0)
Lasmid feat TML Vibez – Meet 4 Corner
King Promise ft Mr Eazi – See What We’ve Done
Moliy ft Tyla – Body Go
Collaboration of the Year
Rojo Blak ft Kelvyn Boy – Excellent
Kidi ft Olivetheboy & Kojo Blak – Gymnastic
Wendy Shay ft Olivetheboy – Crazy Love
Sarkodie ft Rweku Smoke – Violence
Medikal ft Shatta Wale & Beeztrap – Shoulder
Kwabena Kwabena ft Stonebwoy & Kofi Kinaata – Aso II
Songwriter of the Year
Black Sherif – Sacrifice
Kofi Kinaata – Have Mercy II
Cofi Boham – Take Me Home
Ko-Jo Cue – Abebere
Arwaboah – Obi Nnim (Obinim)
Stonebwoy – Send Them a Prayer
Best Highlife Artiste
Fameye
King Paluta
Kwabena Kwabena
Kofi Kinaata
Kuami Eugene
Best Hiplife/ Hiphop Artiste
Black Sherif
Medikal
Kweku Smoke
Sarkodie
Ko-Jo Cue
O’Kenneth
Best Rap Performance
Strongman – Mensei Da
Ko-Jo Cue – Abebere
Lyrical Joe – 5th August 9
Joe Kay – 4GG (For God’s Glory)
Medikal – Welcome to Africa
Sarkodie – Violence
Best Female Vocal Performance
Enam – Amin
Grace Charles (Team Eternity GH) – See Me Through
Niiella – Show Me How to Love
Cina Soul – Breathe
Lordina The Soprano – Beni Tookweil
Best Afrobeats / Afropop Artiste
Wendy Shay
Kojo Blak
Kidi
Olivetheboy
Gyakie
Moliy
Best Male Vocal Performance
Asiama – Akoma
Deon Boakye – Time (Livesession)
Perez Musik – By Prayer
Josh Blakk – Catch-22
Carl Clottey – Yehoda
Best Music Video
Kojo Blak ft Kelvyn Boy – Excellent (Directed by Henry Akrong)
Black Sherif – Sacrifice (Directed by Meekah Jagun)
Medikal – Welcome to Africa (Directed by Xbills Ebenezer)
Stonebwoy – Shine (Directed by Yaw Skyface)
Samini ft Soweto Gospel Choir – Chaana (Directed by Yaw Skyface)
AratheJay – Put Am On God (Directed by David Duncan)
Best Afropop Song
Black Sherif – Sacrifice
Stonebwoy – Gidi Gidi
Olivetheboy ft Sarkodie – Bend
Gyakie – Sankofa
Lasmid – Olivia
King Promise ft Mr Eazi – See What We’ve Done
Best Afrobeats Song
Kojo Blak ft Kelvyn Boy – Excellent
Kidi ft Olivetheboy & Kojo Blak – Gymnastic
Wendy Shay ft Olivetheboy – Crazy Love
Mr Drew ft Olive The Boy – OMG
Lasmid ft King Promise – No Issues
Best Hiphop Song
Black Sherif – Where Dem Boys
O’Kenneth – Balenciaga
Sarkodie ft Kweku Smoke – Violence
Kweku Smoke – Adu The Borga
Gonaboy – Same Timbs
Lalid – The Matter
Best Traditional Gospel Song
Joyce Blessing ft King Paluta – Correct
Piesie Esther – Nyame Ye
Mabel Okyere – So Far So Good
Kofi Owusu Peprah ft Diana Hamilton – M’aseda
Celestine Donkor ft Diana Hamilton – Akorfala
Paul Enana – Baba God (Matthew 6:26)
Best Highlife Song of the Year
Kofi Kinaata – It Is Finished
King Paluta – Foko!
Kwabena Kwabena ft Stonebwoy & Kofi Kinaata – Aso II
Amerado – Obi Adi
Kuami Eugene – Do Better
