Stonebwoy leads Ghana Music Awards finalists with 15 nominations

The full list of nominations for the 25th annual Ghana Music Awards is out, with Stonebwoy as the leading nominee, with fifteen nods.

The Ghanaian reggae, dancehall and Afropop musician’s nominations come after having had a phenomenal run in the year under review, which saw him publish notable crossover hits, an album, stand-out music videos, headline international and local tours, with sold-out performances across America, Europe, UK, and Ghana, along with his dedication to championing life-changing charity initiatives in deprived communities across the country.

Stonebwoy’s nominations span various categories, including the ultimate prize Artiste of the Year, coveted awards such as Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year and Best Song Writer of the Year.

His ground-breaking 2023 album ‘5Th Dimension’ is up for Best Album/EP of the Year, ‘Into The Future’ has received three nominations for Best Music Video, Most Popular Song of the Year, and Best Afropop Song. ‘Mandozi’, an ancestral conscientiousness collaboration with the most-decorated voice in Afropop music, Angelique Kidjo, has garnered nominations for Best Highlife Song, Best International Collaboration of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Music Video of the Year, while ‘Non-Stop’ is up for Best Reggae/Dancehall Song.

Additionally, his features with KiDi on ‘Liquor’ and Fameye ‘Not God’ remix, also received nominations in Most Popular Song of the Year, Collaboration of the Year and Best Afropop Song categories, respectively. These nominations underscore the breadth and depth of Stonebwoy’s influence on the contemporary music scene in Ghana.

Within the last twelve months, Stonebwoy’s career has profited from innovation, passion, and a commitment to pushing artistic boundaries, which has undoubtedly solidified his role as a leading voice in enabling Ghana music on the international market.

Stonebwoy, born Livingstone Etse Satekla, is no stranger to success at the Ghana Music Awards. Having been the recipient of Artiste of the Year in 2015, earning recognition with ‘Vodafone Green’ and Music for Good awards respectively, as well as setting record as the Ghanaian artiste with most Reggae & Dancehall Artiste of the Year award wins (7), he has been described as the king of ragga and dancehallin’ for Africa in his career.

The awards, formerly known as the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), are now referred to as the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMAs) following the announcement of the telco as the new headline sponsor. Marking its silver jubilee this year, the scheme spotlights and celebrates remarkable musical achievements by Ghanaian artists spanning various genres including highlife, hiplife, Afropop, and traditional music

The awards will be handed out in a live broadcast on June 1st, 2024.