In an unprecedented turn of events, gospel singer Joe Mettle was crowned Artist of the Year at this year’s edition of the Vodafone-sponsored Ghana Music Awards. He is the first Gospel act since the scheme was instituted in 2000 to achieve the topmost prize.
Joe Mettle also walked home with awards for Gospel Artist of the Year and Best Male Vocal Performance. He beat off fierce competition from EL, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Medikal, and MzVee.
A couple of weeks to the event, a huge campaign was championed by the Gospel fraternity to help him achieve the coveted prize. An excited Joe Mettle was joined onstage by colleagues Nacee, Jeshrun Okyere, among others.
Initial technical hitches led to the late commencement of the show, which was originally scheduled to commence at 8 pm, but it was rectified, and the rest of the show went smoothly.
Other big winners for the night were rapper M.anifest and Confession hitmaker Kofi Kinaata. Tamale-based Fancy Gadam also pulled a significant surprise as he beat the likes of Article Wan, Eugy, and Medikal to emerge New Artist of the Year. Medikal, who was up for a total of 7 nominations, went home with none…a major upset for the night.
This year’s event, the 18th sedition, was hosted by ace broadcaster Anita Erskine of Starr FM. She’s the first woman to host the show, and was supported by DJ Black on the turntables, and Berla Mundi an Eliken Kumordzi on the red carpet.
The evening also saw performances from local and international acts as Toofan, Sarkodie, Medikal, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Runtown, Kofi Kinaata, EL, and M.anifest, among others.
Here’s the full list of winners:
GOSPEL SONG OF THE YEAR
Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze – Nacee ft. Ernest Opoku
Change Over – Mary Agyemang
Mewo Jesus – Mabel Okyere
Still You Reign – Sonnie Badu
Healing Stream – Jeshrun Okyere ft. Nathaniel Bassey
Agye Won Nsam – Piesie Esther
HIGHLIFE SONG OF THE YEAR
Jwe – Bisa K’dei
Confession – Kofi Kinaata
Beshiwo – Becca ft. Bisa K’dei
Mintse Bo – Wisa Greid
Christy – Dobble
Bokor Bokor – Kill Beatz ft. Mugeez & Fuse ODG
HIPLIFE SONG OF THE YEAR
Samba – Guru ft. Singlet
Club – Donzy ft. Piesie & Sarkodie
Go Low – Flowking Stone
RNS – Sarkodie
Bie Gya – Criss Waddle ft. Stonebwoy
Sweetie Pie – Kofi Kinaata
Alhaji – VVIP ft. Patoranking
HIP-HOP SONG OF THE YEAR
God MC – M.anifest
Trumpet – Sarkodie ft. Teephlow, Koo Ntakra, Strongman, Donzy, Medikal & Pappy Kojo
Lalafalama – EL
Confirm (remix) – Medikal ft. Sarkodie
Egboame (remix) – Edem ft. Cabum, Teephlow, Ayat, Gemini, Medikal, Mac M, Darko & Bebelino
Tension – Okyeame Kwame ft. Cabum, Medikal & Sister Debbie
BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SONG OF THE YEAR
People Dey – Stonebwoy
Nwansina – Ras Kuuku ft. Luther
Gborgborvor – Gallaxy ft. Stonebwoy
Kupe – Ebony
Yonnah – Samini ft. Luther
Pain Dem – Rudebwoy Ranking
Arostor – Kaakie ft. Yaa Pono
AFRO POP SONG OF THE YEAR
Kaabuame – EL
Dance For Me – Eugy ft. Mr. Eazi
Solo – Article Wan
U x Me – Joey B
Too Risky – Medikal ft. Sister Debbie
Too Late – Adina
Grind – Vision DJ ft. A.I
GOSPEL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Joe Mettle
Piesie Esther
Sonnnie Badu
Jeshrun Okyere
Nacee
HIGHLIFE ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Bis K’dei
Becca
Kofi Kinaata
REGGAE/DANCEHALL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Stonebwoy
Ras Kuuku
Samini
Ebony
Rudebwoy
MzVee
HIPLIFE/HIP-HOP ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Guru
EL
Flowking Stone
Medikal
Sarkodie
M.anifest
Joey B
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Joe Mettle – Onwanwani
Kill Beatz – Too Late
Kofi Kinaata – Confession
Nacee – Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze
BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Leno by Wiyaala – Charlotte Appleton
Small Small by Okyeame Kwame ft. MzVee – Phamous Philms
Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze by Nacee ft. Ernest Opoku – Mcwillies
Rapping Drums by Flowking Stone – Xbills Ebenezer
W’ani Aba by M.anifest ft. Bisa K’dei – Solomon Director
Nyedzilo by Edem ft. Rekaado Banks – Phamous Philms
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Me Ne Wo Aa – Nacee
Hello – Akwaboah ft. Sarkodie
Too Late – Adina
U x Me – Joey B
Motromodwo – Trigmatic ft. A.I
BEST MALE VOCALIST
Ogya Mensah – Get Serious
Afriyie – Here To Stay
Joe Mettle – Onwanwani
Akwaboah – Hello
Sonnie badu – Still You Reign
Ernest Opoku – Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze
BEST FEMALE VOCALIST
Adina – Too Late
Becca – Beshiwo
MzVee – Nobody Else
Piesie Esther – Agye Won Nsam
Petrah – My Man
BEST GROUP OF THE YEAR
VVIP
R2bees
Dunsin
Gallaxy
BEST RAPPER OF THE YEAR
Flowking Stone – Fire Bon Dem (remix)
EL – Love God
Medikal – Connect
Yaa Pono (Ponobiom) – Mind on Money
M.anifest – 100%
Sarkodie – Fire Born Dem (remix)
BEST COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Alhaji – VVIP ft. Patoranking
Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze – Nacee ft. Ernest Opoku
Confirm (remix) – Medikal ft. Sarkodie
Bie Gya – Criss Waddle ft. Stonebwoy
Nwansina – Ras Kuuku ft. Luther
Samba – Guru ft. Singlet
BEST NEW ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Medikal
Nii Funny
Fancy Gadam
Article Wan
Feli Nuna
Ebony
Rudebwoy Ranking
Eugy
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Counselor – Nacee
BAR 3 – EL
Nowhere Cool – M.anifest
Gifted – Flowking Stone
Soundz of Africa – Sonnie Badu
VODAFONE SONG OF THE YEAR
Christy – Dobble
U x Me – Joey B
RNS – Sarkodie
Solo – Article Wan
People Dey – Stonebwoy
Kaabuame – EL
Bie Gya – Criss Waddle ft. Stonebwoy
Sweetie Pie – Kofi Kinaata
Alhaji – VVIP ft. Patoranking
Yewo Nyame Aa Yewo Adze – Nacee
Go Low – Flowking Stone
OVERALL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
EL
Sarkodie
Stonebwoy
Joe Mettle
MzVee
Medikal
AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Patoranking
Mr. Eazi
Runtown
Tekno
Nathaniel Bassey
UNSUNG ARTISTE
AJ Lyricx
Afezi Perry
CJ Biggerman
Cina Soul
Deon Boakye
eShun
Kuami Eugene
TRADITIONAL ARTISE OF THE YEAR
Sammy Amed
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Philip Acquah
VODAFONE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONOUR
Paapa Yankson