Nominees for this year’s edition of the annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) were released on Saturday, April 3 by the organisers of the event on social media.
There weren’t a lot of surprises as many of the artistes expected to secure nominations, did so.
The organisers shortlisted 20 categories with female songstress Adina Thembi, bagging nine nominations for the 22nd edition of the VGMA.
She was nominated for Artiste of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste, Best Music Video, collaboration of the Year, Record of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Best Female Vocal Performance and Best Afrobeats/Afropop Song.
KiDi also bagged eight nominations, including Artiste of the Year, Most Popular Song of the Year, Best Collaboration of the Year, EP of the Year, Best Highlife Song, Best Male Vocal Performance, Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste, and Best Afrobeats/Afropop song.
Rapper Sarkodie got seven nominations for this year’s awards and could potentially win the Artiste of the Year, having won it in 2010 and 2012.
2020 VGMA Artiste of the Year, Kuami Eugene also got seven nominations and could perhaps win his second consecutive Artiste of the Year award, having being nominated in the category again.
Hiplife music group Keche and gospel artiste Diana Hamilton had five nominations each.
Fast-rising songstress, Gyakie, who is also daughter of highlife legend Nana Acheampong, has been nominated for the Best Afrobeats/Afropop Song of the Year.
Among the 10 other nominations in that category are Adina Thembi, Wendy Shay, King Promise, Camidoh, Kwasi Arthur among others.
Some of the categories this in year’s event include Artiste of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Hip-Hop Song of the Year, Highlife Song of the Year, Gospel Song of the Year, Gospel Artiste of the Year, Hiplife Song of the Year, Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year, Unsung Artiste, and a host of others.
The African Artiste of the Year nominated highly-rated international artistes such as Davido, Master KG, Fireboy DML, Omah Lay, Burnaboy and Wizkid.
Instituted 21 years ago, VGMA is being organised to reward deserving artistes for their hard work, dedication and contribution to the growth of  Ghana’s music industry.
Started in 2000, VGMA has grown to become the most respected awards scheme and, indeed, one of the most respected on the African continent.
It is powered by Charterhouse Ghana and sponsored by Vodafone Ghana.
By George Clifford Owusu