Every year, Ghana’s music industry gathers for one night, dressed in its finest, to find out who has won Artiste of the Year. The Ghana Music Awards, organised by Charterhouse since 2000, have become the most important awards in the country’s music scene. Winners gain bragging rights, bookings and a place in history. Controversies, from snubs to stage fights, are almost as famous as the winners.
The beginning, sponsors and categories
The awards were launched in 2000 to celebrate Ghanaian music across genres. The event is organised by Charterhouse, an events company. The awards have carried sponsors’ names, becoming widely known as the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) and later the Telecel Ghana Music Awards after Vodafone Ghana was rebranded as Telecel.
The top prize, Artiste of the Year, has been won by stars such as Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale and Black Sherif. Categories cover highlife, hiplife, gospel, reggae and dancehall, Afrobeats and more, as well as songwriting and production.
The 2019 incident and criticism
In 2019, a clash on stage between camps of Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale led to both artists being banned from that year’s awards. Winners are decided by a combination of public votes and a board. Like all awards, the event has faced complaints about nominations and results. The awards night features performances by top artists. Red carpet fashion is a major talking point each year.
Winning an award can boost an artist’s career and bookings. Gospel musicians have won major categories, reflecting the genre’s popularity in Ghana.
Winners, venues and television
Over the years, the Artiste of the Year prize has gone to musicians from many genres, from hiplife pioneers to gospel stars and dancehall artists. Each win reflects the trends of the time, and debates about who deserved it are part of the annual ritual. Fans often campaign online for their favourites in the weeks before the ceremony.
The awards have usually been held at the Accra International Conference Centre or other large venues in Accra. The ceremony is broadcast on television and streamed online, reaching Ghanaians at home and abroad. The Ghana Music Awards have changed sponsors several times. Every year, the question that fills the hall is still the same one: who is Artiste of the Year?
