After a four-year absence from the Ghana Music Awards, dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, is back into the scheme.
Shatta Wale, after winning the ‘Artiste of the Year’ at the 2014 edition of awards was blacklisted by the organisers, Charterhouse over series of attacks on the scheme and its Board.
The dancehall act had also attacked the events company and its CEO, Mr Iyiola Ayoade. In October 2014, the awards organisers sued the dancehall act GHc10 million for defamation.
While that defamation case is still in court, Nii Ayite Hammond, who speaks for the VGMA Board, explained to Myjoyonline.com that they decided to accept Shatta Wale back into the scheme after he had fulfilled certain requirements.
According to him, the dancehall act had on several platforms apologised for denigrating the awards and the board felt stratified with the apologies and agreed to nominate him.
Charterhouse on Saturday night at the Movënpick Ambassador Hotel included Shatta Wale when it released the list of nominees for this year’s awards.
Shatta Wale will face off with his Zylofon Media label mate Stonebwoy, late Ebony, rapper Sarkodie, and winner of Artiste of the Year at the 2017 edition, Joe Mettle for the topmost award.
This year, the Music Awards festival will witness a nominees’ jam in Cape Coast on March 24 and a music seminar at the Movënpick Ambassador Hotel on April 12.
The awards night will be on April 14 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) followed by a celebration jam on April 28 in Tema.
The full list of nominees below:
Highlife Song Of the Year
Dream – Kumi Guitar
Bronya – Wutah
Odo – Kidi
Angela – Kuami Eugene
Over – R2bees
Hustle – Ebony
Gospel Song of the Year …….
Boot 4 Boot- Joyce Blessing
Obi Nyanime – Patience Nyarko
Efatawo – Nacee
Adom – Gifty Osei
Jehovah – Ceccy Twum
Hiplife Song of the Year
Total Cheat – Fancy Gadam ft Sarkodie
Boys Boys – Nacee F. Guru
Obi Agyi obi girl – Captain Planet ft Kofi Kinataa
Ayoo – Shatta Walle
One Corner—Patapaa
Hip Pop Song of the Year
State Of The Art – Teephlow
Light It Up – Sarkodie
Grind Day Remix – Kwesi Arthur
Pen and Paper – Kojo-cue & Shaker
Dear God—B4Bonah
Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year
Until The Dawn – Efya
My Own – Samini
My Name – Stonebwoy
Maya Burn Dem – Article Wan
Rewind – Mzvee
Dem Confuse – Shatta Wale
Afro Pop Song of the Year
Makoma – Adina
Oh Yeah – King Promise
Say You Love Me – Kidi
Sing My Name – Mzvee
Jennifer Lomotey – Kurl Songz
Sponsor – Ebony
My Baby – Magnom
Come From Afar – Stonebwoy
Gospel Artiste of the Year
Joyce Blessing
Patience Nyarko
Joe Mettle
Celestine Donkor
Nacee
Gifty Osei
Highlife Artiste of the Year
Wutah
Kidi
Kuami Eugene
Becca
Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the Year
Shatta Wale
Ebony
Stonebwoy
Mzvee
Songwriter of the Year
Kumi Guitar – Dream
Joe Mettle – Bo Noo Ni
Bullet – Maame Hw3
Willis Beatz – Last Show
Samini – My Own
Stonebwoy – My Name
Best Music Video of the Year
Dream – Abass
Selfish – Vertex
My Girl -Nicol Sey
Wedding Car – Bra Shizzle
Obi Agyi Obi Girl -Gyo-Phamous Filmz
Pen & Paper -E Kumodzi
Record of the Year
Dream – Kumi Guitar
My Own – Samini
Glory – Sarkodie
State Of The Art-Teephlow
Hiplife/Hiphop Artiste of the Year
Ponobiom
R2bees
Captain Planet
Kwesi Arthur
Sarkodie
VVIP
Best Male Vocal Performance
Joe Mettle-Bo No Nii
King Promise-Selfish
Kidi- Odo
Kuami Eugene-Angela
Mugeez-Over
Samini- My Own
Best Female Vocal Performance
Adina-Makoma
Nana Yaa-Don’t Leave Me Alone
Efya- Love
Mzvee-Bright Lights
Becca-Summuy3
Best Group of the Year
VVIP
R2bees
Wutah
Best Rapper of the Year
Eno Barony – Fear No Man
Teflon – Phlowducation
Sarkodie – Light It Up
Shaker – Pen and Paper
Ko-jo Cue – Pen and Paper
Strongman – Transformer
Best Collaboration of the Year
Bo Noo Ni — Joe Mettle Ft Luigi Maclean
Sing My Name Remix — Mzvee Ft Patoranking
Jennifer Lomotey— Kurl Songs ft Sarkodie
Pain Killer — Sarkodie ft Runtown
Taking Over— Shatta Wale Ft S.M Militants
Obi Agye Obi Girl — Captain Planet ft Kofi Kinata
Na Wash — Becca ft Patoranking
African Artiste of the Year
Davido
Wizkid
Too Fan
Cassper Nyovest
Nasty C
Tiwa Savage
Olamide
Best New Artiste of the Year
King Promise
Kurl Songz
Kidi
Kuami Eugege
Magnom
Kwesi Arthur
B4Bonah
UNSUNG Artiste of the Year
Kelvyn Boy
Dope Nation
Dhat Gyal
OBK
Real MC
Christian
Album of the Year
Epistles of Mama – Stonebwoy
Highest – Sarkodie
Daavi – Mzvee
Bonyfied – Ebony
Song of the Year
Joe Mettle – Bo No Nii
Shatta Wale – Ayoo
King Promise – Oh yeah
Sarkodie ft Runtown – Painkiller
Patapaa – One Corner
Ebony – Sponsor
Kuami Eugene – Angela
Kidi – Odo
Shatta Wale ft The Militants -Taking Over
Fancy Gandam ft Sarkodie -Total Cheat
Magnom – My Baby
Captain Planet ft Kofi Kinaata – Obi Agi Obi Girl
Wutah – Bronya
Artiste of the Year
Joe Mettle
Ebony
Shatta Wale
Sarkodie
Stonebwoy
Source: Myjoyonline.com