The nominations for the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards 2026 have officially been revealed, thereby setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most competitive editions in recent years. Moreover, announced on March 14 at the La Palm Beach Hotel, this year’s list highlights both the dominance of established stars and the steady rise of a new generation of Ghanaian talent.
Artiste of the Year: A Tight Race
At the center of attention is the coveted Artiste of the Year category. Black Sherif, Medikal, Stonebwoy, Wendy Shay, Sarkodie, and Diana Hamilton go head-to-head. Each nominee has delivered strong chart performances. Furthermore, they have maintained high audience engagement over the past year. As a result, the competition is particularly tight, and fans are already debating potential winners.
Fan Favorites: Most Popular Song and Best Hiplife Song
Beyond the headline category, several tracks are making waves. For Most Popular Song of the Year, fan favorites include Gymnastic by KiDi featuring Olivetheboy and Kojo Blak, as well as Black Sherif’s Sacrifice. Meanwhile, Shoulder by Medikal featuring Shatta Wale and Beeztrap Kotm stands out in the Best Hiplife Song category. This track also marks Shatta Wale’s return to the awards after a seven-year absence. In addition, other songs across genres are gaining traction, showing the breadth of Ghana’s music scene.
Album/EP of the Year and Emerging Acts
The Album/EP of the Year category also reflects variety. Black Sherif’s Iron Boy, Stonebwoy’s Torcher, Gyakie’s After Midnight, and Medikal’s Disturbation 2 are among the standout works. Each project represents a different side of Ghana’s evolving music ecosystem. Moreover, emerging acts are receiving attention. Kojo Blak, Gonaboy, Lalid, and Adom Kiki are nominated for Best New Artiste, signaling the rise of a new wave of creatives steadily gaining mainstream recognition.
Controversy: DopeNation’s Absence
The announcement has not been without debate. The absence of music duo DopeNation sparked conversations online, particularly because of their consistent run of hits over the past year. However, Robert Klah of Charterhouse Productions explained that the duo did not submit their works for consideration. Although efforts were made to reach out, there was no response from the group or their management. Still, previous issues had been resolved amicably, highlighting that this year’s absence was procedural rather than personal.
With 26 categories spanning Hiplife, Afrobeats, Gospel, and Reggae/Dancehall, the TGMA underscores the depth and diversity of Ghanaian music. As a result, anticipation is building for the main event. The 2026 edition is shaping up to be a defining moment, not only celebrating excellence but also reflecting ongoing shifts in Ghana’s cultural soundscape.
The full list of nominees for the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards 2026 is as follows:
Artiste of the Year
- Black Sherif
- Medikal
- Stonebwoy
- Wendy Shay
- Sarkodie
- Diana Hamilton
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, Skillibeng & Silent Addy – Shake It To The Max RMX
- 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 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 Rweku 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
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
- 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 ft Stonebwoy – Larger Than Life
- Samini – Summer King
- Arathejay 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 ft 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 Kweku 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/Hip-Hop 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 – See Me Through
- Niiella – Show Me How to Love
- Cina Soul – Breathe
- Lordina The Soprano – Beni Tookweil
Best Male Vocal Performance
- Asiama – Akoma
- Deon Boakye – Time (Live Session)
- Perez Musik – By Prayer
- Josh Blakk – Catch-22
- Carl Clottey – Yehoda
Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste
- Wendy Shay
- Kojo Blak
- KiDi
- Olivetheboy
- Gyakie
- Moliy
Best Music Video
- Kojo Blak ft Kelvyn Boy – Excellent
- Black Sherif – Sacrifice
- Medikal – Welcome to Africa
- Stonebwoy – Shine
- Samini ft Soweto Gospel Choir – Chaana
- Arathejay – Put Am On God
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 Olivetheboy – OMG
- Lasmid ft King Promise – No Issues
Best Hip-Hop 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
Best Highlife Song
Kuami Eugene – Do Better
Kofi Kinaata – It Is Finished
King Paluta – Foko!
Kwabena Kwabena ft Stonebwoy & Kofi Kinaata – Aso II
Amerado – Obi Adi
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