TGMA 2026 Nominations; Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, and Wendy Shay Battle for Ghana’s Top Music Crown

The unveiling of the 2026 Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) nominations has set the stage for one of the most competitive seasons in Ghana’s music industry, bringing together some of the country’s most influential and chart-topping artists in a showdown that promises excitement, debate, and anticipation.

Announced on March 14, 2026, the nominations mark the 27th edition of the prestigious awards scheme, organized by Charterhouse. The event celebrates excellence across Ghana’s music landscape, recognizing achievements in over 20 categories spanning genres such as highlife, hiplife, gospel, afrobeats, and reggae/dancehall.

The TGMA has long been a cornerstone of Ghana’s entertainment calendar, with a legacy dating back over two decades. Over the years, it has crowned some of the nation’s biggest stars, from early icons like Kojo Antwi to modern hitmakers like Black Sherif and King Promise. The awards not only celebrate musical excellence but also serve as a reflection of evolving trends, audience preferences, and the global reach of Ghanaian music.

HERE IS THE FULL NOMINATION LIST

Best Hiplife Song

• Shoulder – Medikal ft Shatta Wale & Beeztrap KOTM
• Habit – Fameye ft Medikal
• Tontonte – Ko-Jo Cue ft Ofori Amponsah & Arathejay
• Next Door – Kojo Blak ft Sarkodie
• Messiah – Sarkodie ft Kweku Flick
• Badness – Kwesi Amewuga

Best Highlife Song

• It Is Finished – Kofi Kinaata
• Foko – King Paluta
• Aso II – Kwabena Kwabena ft Stonebwoy & Kofi Kinaata
• Obi Adi – Amerado Burner
• Do Better – Kuami Eugene

Best Traditional Gospel Song

• Correct – Joyce Blessing ft King Paluta
• Nyame Ye – Piesie Esther
• So Far So Good – Mabel Okyere
• M’aseda – Kofi Owusu Preprah ft Diana Hamilton
• Akorfala – Celestine Donkor ft Diana Hamilton
• Baba God (Matthew 6:26) – Paul Enana

Best Hiphop Song

• Where Dem Boys – Black Sherif
• Balenciaga – O’Kenneth
• Violence – Sarkodie ft Kweku Smoke
• Same Timbs – Gonaboy
• The Matter – Lalid

Best Afrobeats Song

• Excellent – Kojo Blak ft Kelvynboy
• Gymnastic – KiDi, Olivetheboy & Kojo Blak
• Crazy Love – Wendy Shay ft Olivetheboy
• OMG – Mr Drew ft Olivetheboy
• No Issues – Lasmid ft King Promise

Best Afropop Song

• Sacrifice – Black Sherif
• Gidi Gidi – Stonebwoy
• Bend – Olivetheboy ft Sarkodie
• Sankofa – Gyakie
• Olivia – Lasmid
• See What We’ve Done – King Promise ft Mr Eazi

Best Music Video

• Excellent – Kojo Blak ft Kelvynboy (Director: Henry Akrong)
• Sacrifice – Black Sherif (Director: Meekah Jagun)
• Welcome to Africa – Medikal (Director: Xbillz Ebenezer)
• Shine – Stonebwoy (Director: Yaw Skyface)
• Chaana – Samini ft Soweto Gospel Choir (Director: Yaw Skyface)
• Put Am On God – Arathejay (Director: David Duncan)

Best Male Vocal Performance 

• Akoma – Asiama
• Timeless (Live) – Deon Boakye
• Prayer – Perez Musik
• Catch-22 – Josh Blakk
• Yehoda – Carl Clottey

Best Female Vocal Performance

• Amin – Enam
• See Me Through – Grace Charles (Team Eternity Ghana)
• Show Me How To Love – Niella
• Breathe – Cina Soul
• Beni Tookweiloi – Lordina the Soprano

Best Rap Performance

• Mensei Da – Strongman
• Abebrese – Ko-Jo Cue
• 5th August 9 – Lyrical Joe
• 4GG (For God’s Glory) – Joe Kay
• Welcome to Africa – Medikal
• Violence – Sarkodie

Collaboration of the Year

• Excellent – Kojo Blak ft Kelvynboy
• Gymnastic – KiDi ft Olivetheboy & Kojo Blak
• Crazy Love – Wendy Shay ft Olivetheboy
• Violence – Sarkodie ft Kweku Smoke
• Shoulder – Medikal ft Shatta Wale & Beeztrap KOTM
• Aso II – Kwabena Kwabena ft Stonebwoy & Kofi Kinaata

International Collaboration of the Year

• Shake It to the Max – Moliy ft Shenseea, Skillbeng & Silent Addy
• So It Goes – Black Sherif ft Fireboy DML
• Too Late 2.0 – Wendy Shay ft Bedjine, Phina & Guchi
• Meet 4 Corner – Lasmid ft TML Vibez
• See What We’ve Done – King Promise ft Mr Eazi
• Body Go – MOLIY ft Tyla

Best Reggae/Dancehall Song

• Shake It to the Max Remix – Moliy ft Shenseea, Skillibeng & Silent Addy
• Torcher – Stonebwoy
• Larger Than Life – Cina Soul ft Stonebwoy
• Summer King – Samini
• Talisman – AratheJay ft Stonebwoy
• Pharaoh – Amerado

Best Urban/Contemporary Gospel Song

• Ebefa – Ewura Abena
• Big God Afro – Kofi Owusu
• Preprah Aha Ye – Diana Hamilton ft Ntokozo Mbambo & Elder Mireku
• Ready – Scott Evans
• Stamina – Kofi Karikari
• Yehoda – Carl Clottey ft Luigi Maclean

Best Afrobeats/Afropo Artist

• Wendy Shay
• KiDi
• Kojo Blak
• Olivetheboy
• Gyakie
• Moliy

Best Hiplife/Hiphop Artist

• Black Sherif
• Medikal
• Kweku Smoke
• Sarkodie
• Ko-Jo Cue
• O’Kenneth

Best Highlife Artist

• Fameye
• King Paluta
• Kwabena Kwabena
• Kofi
• Kinaata
• Kuami Eugene

Best Reggae/Dancehall Artist

• Samini
• Ras Kuuku
• Stonebwoy

Best Gospel Artist

• Piesie Esther
• Diana Hamilton
• MOG Music
• Kofi Owusu Peprah
• Mabel Okyere
• Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta

Songwriter of the Year

• Black Sherif – Sacrifice
• Kofi Kinaata – Have Mercy II
• Cofi Boham – Take Me Home
• Ko-Jo Cue – Abebrese
• Akwaboah – Obi Nnim (Obinim)
• Stonebwoy – Send Them A Prayer

Artiste Of The Year

• Black Sherif
• Medikal
• Stonebwoy
• Wendy Shay
• Sarkodie
• Diana Hamilton

Most Popular Song Of The Year

• Gymnastic – KiDi ft OliveTheBoy & Kojo Blak
• Sacrifice – Black Sherif
• Crazy Love – Wendy Shay ft OliveTheBoy
• Excellent – Kojo Black ft Kelvynboy
• Shoulder – Medikal ft Shatta Wale, BeezTrap
• Olivia – Lasmid
• Shake It To The Max – MOLIY ft Shenseea, Skillibeng
• Nyame Ye – Piesie Esther
• Foko – King Paluta

As anticipation builds toward the main ceremony scheduled for May 9, 2026, in Accra, fans, critics, and industry stakeholders are already debating who deserves to win.  With such a strong pool of nominees, the competition is expected to be fierce, and the outcomes could shape the direction of Ghana’s music scene for the coming year.