Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie
As fans and industry players gear up to support their favourites in the forthcoming 26th edition of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) following the official announcement of the nominees, there is a notable absence in this year’s ‘Artiste of the Year’ category.
Sarkodie is surprisingly missing from the category, sparking reactions online.
While some may not see this as an issue, it is a major surprise for many, as this marks the first time the ‘Illuminati’ hitmaker has not been nominated in this prestigious category in ten years.
Sarkodie earned his first nomination at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) in 2010, with his debut album ‘Makye’ earning him eight nominations and five awards, including the coveted ‘Artiste of the Year’ and ‘Discovery of the Year’ awards.
In 2012, Sarkodie continued his success with his Rapperholic album, securing 12 nominations and winning three awards, including ‘Artiste of the Year’ and ‘Most Popular Song of the Year’ for “U Go Kill Me.”
Although he missed out on the Artiste of the Year nomination in 2013, Sarkodie began an impressive streak starting in 2014, with his Sarkology album earning eight nominations.
Since then, he has consistently been a major contender, especially in the Artiste of the Year category.
However, 2025 marks the year he has been absent from that category.
Despite missing out on the top honour, Sarkodie earned other nominations at the awards, including Best Hiplife Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Hiphop Song, and Best Hiplife/Hiphop Song.
The TGMA 2025 nominee announcement, held at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, March 15, 2025, saw the declaration of various artistes including Kweku Smoke, Team Eternity, Joe Mettle, King Paluta, King Promise, Stonebwoy, and Black Sherif, as contenders for the prestigious ‘Artiste of the Year’ category.
The main awards event is scheduled to take place on May 3, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The event will be preceded by a pre-party on May 2, bringing together nominees and industry stakeholders for networking and discussions.
There will be a nominees’ jam, also known as the TGMA Xperience, on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
ID/EB
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You can also watch videos from the unveiling of the 2025 TGMA nominees on GhanaWeb TV below: