The 27th edition of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards, TGMA, held at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre, delivered a night that blended dominance, surprise victories and clear signals about where Ghanaian music is heading. With the theme “A Touch of Glitter,” the ceremony brought together the industry’s biggest names, but it was Black Sherif who ultimately stood tallest, clinching the coveted Artiste of the Year award in what had been widely described as one of the most competitive lineups in recent years.
The Artiste of the Year category featured heavyweights including Medikal, Stonebwoy, Wendy Shay, Sarkodie and Diana Hamilton, making Black Sherif’s win a defining moment in his career. His influence extended beyond the headline category, as he also secured Songwriter of the Year for his song “Sacrifice” and picked up Album or EP of the Year for Iron Boy, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most impactful voices in Ghanaian music today.
Another major storyline of the night was the strong showing by Medikal, whose track “Shoulder,” featuring Shatta Wale and Beeztrap KOTM, proved to be a crowd favourite. The song won Best Hiplife Song, Collaboration of the Year and Telecel Most Popular Song of the Year, underlining its dominance both commercially and culturally. Medikal also secured Best Hiplife or Hip Hop Artiste, further cementing his relevance in a rapidly evolving music landscape.
In the song categories, Black Sherif continued his strong run, winning Best Hip Hop Song with “Where Dem Boys” and Best Afropop Song with “Sacrifice.” Meanwhile, Kofi Kinaata maintained his reputation for lyrical depth by winning Best Highlife Song with “It Is Finished” and also taking Best Highlife Artiste. Gospel music maintained a strong presence, with Piesie Esther winning Best Traditional Gospel Song for “Nyame Ye,” while Kofi Owusu Peprah secured Best Urban Contemporary Gospel Song with “Big God Afro.” Diana Hamilton’s win as Best Gospel Artiste highlighted the continued influence of gospel music within mainstream Ghanaian entertainment.
A standout moment came from Moliy, whose global hit “Shake It to the Max Remix,” featuring Shenseea and Skillibeng, won both Best Reggae or Dancehall Song and International Collaboration of the Year. The win signaled Ghana’s growing presence on the global music stage, with cross border collaborations becoming increasingly central to success.
The awards also recognized emerging and technical excellence. Kojo Blak was named Best New Artiste, while Strongman took Best Rap Performance for “Mensei Da.” In the production space, A-Town TSB won Producer of the Year and Daniel Grahl secured Audio Engineer of the Year, reflecting the growing appreciation for behind the scenes contributors.
Performance categories also delivered notable winners, with Asiama winning Best Male Vocal Performance for “Akoma” and Enam taking Best Female Vocal Performance with “Amin.” The visual side of music was not left out, as “Put Am On God” by AratheJay, directed by David Duncan, won Best Music Video, with Duncan also being recognised as Best Music Video Director.
Other notable winners included Keche as Group of the Year and Morgan Nero as Unsung Artiste of the Year. The Best African Song category went to Davido, further highlighting the interconnected nature of African music markets.
Beyond the awards, the event featured performances from top acts including Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Black Sherif, Gyakie and others, reinforcing the TGMA’s position as Ghana’s biggest music platform. The ceremony reflected a shift in the industry, where streaming power, international reach and authentic storytelling are increasingly shaping who wins and why.
The 2026 edition ultimately showed that Ghanaian music is not just evolving but competing on a broader stage, with artists like Black Sherif and Moliy leading that charge while established names continue to hold their ground.
TGMA 27 — Full List of Winners
🎤 Major Awards
Artiste of the Year — Black Sherif
Album/EP of the Year — Iron Boy by Black Sherif
Telecel Most Popular Song of the Year — “Shoulder” by Medikal ft. Shatta Wale & Beeztrap KOTM
Record of the Year — Kwabena Kwabena
🎵 Song Categories
Best Hiplife Song — “Shoulder” — Medikal ft. Shatta Wale & Beeztrap KOTM
Best Highlife Song — “It Is Finished” — Kofi Kinaata
Best Hip Hop Song — “Where Dem Boys” — Black Sherif
Best Afropop Song — “Sacrifice” — Black Sherif
Best Afrobeats Song — “Excellent” — Kojo Blak ft. Kelvyn Boy
Best Reggae/Dancehall Song — “Shake It to the Max (Remix)” — Moliy, Shenseea, Skillibeng & Silent Addy
Best Traditional Gospel Song — “Nyame Ye” — Piesie Esther
Best Urban/Contemporary Gospel Song — “Big God (Afro)” — Kofi Owusu Peprah
Best African Song of the Year — Davido
🎧 Artiste Categories
Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste — Wendy Shay
Best Highlife Artiste — Kofi Kinaata
Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste — Stonebwoy
Best Gospel Artiste — Diana Hamilton
Best Hiplife/Hip Hop Artiste — Medikal
🎙 Performance & Technical
Best Male Vocal Performance — “Akoma” — Asiama
Best Female Vocal Performance — “Amin” — Enam
Best Rap Performance — “Mensei Da” — Strongman
Best Music Video — “Put Am On God” — AratheJay (Directed by David Duncan)
Best Music Video Director — David Duncan
Producer of the Year — A-Town TSB
Audio Engineer of the Year — Daniel Grahl
Songwriter of the Year — “Sacrifice” — Black Sherif
🤝 Collaboration & Special
Collaboration of the Year — “Shoulder” — Medikal ft. Shatta Wale & Beeztrap KOTM
International Collaboration of the Year — “Shake It to the Max (Remix)” — Moliy & collaborators
Group of the Year — Keche
Best New Artiste — Kojo Blak
Unsung Artiste of the Year — Morgan Nero
Telecel Music for Good Award — Lali x Lola