TGMA 2026: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly — Ghana’s Biggest Music Night Was Pure Chaos, Class, and Controversy

They came for a celebration. They got a coronation, a controversy, a cultural reckoning, and a red carpet that will be talked about from Accra to Atlanta for weeks. The 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards — better known simply as TGMA 2026 — went down on the night of Saturday, 9 May at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre, and it delivered everything Ghana’s music industry does best: breathtaking talent, undeniable drama, deeply emotional tributes, and enough social media fire to light up the continent.
The Grand Arena was transformed into a bastion of musical excellence as the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards celebrated the finest talents in the industry. But behind the glitz, there were winners who deserved more, snubs that stung, red carpet moments that went viral for all the wrong reasons, and one venue saga that exposed a structural wound at the heart of Ghana’s entertainment economy.
NubianBiz breaks it all down. The good. The bad. And the ugly.

✅ THE GOOD: Five Moments That Made Ghana Proud

1. Black Sherif Is Simply Untouchable
   In a repeat of his 2023 success, Black Sherif was crowned the Artist of the Year, capping off a phenomenal night where he scooped a total of five awards. The ‘Iron Boy’ star proved his dominance was no fluke, winning the night’s most prestigious honours on the back of a record-breaking year on international streaming platforms.
   Five awards. One night. One artist. Black Sherif won Artist of the Year, Album/EP of the Year for Iron Boy, Songwriter of the Year for Sacrifice, Best HipHop Song for Where Dem Boys, and Best Afropop Song of the Year. He did not just win — he rendered the competition a formality.
   The Album/EP of the Year category came with a major boost, including a GH₵100,000 cash prize and production support from Guinness Ghana. That is not a trophy. That is a business investment in the most compelling voice in Ghanaian music today.
   Pre-show analysis from Adomonline said it plainly: “If the TGMA is purely a figures award, then Black Sherif is likely to be crowned Artiste of the Year. I’m not the one saying it, but that is what the figures are screaming.” The figures were right.

2. Daddy Lumba Gets His Flowers — And the Room Wept
   One of the emotional moments of the night came when legendary Highlife musician Daddy Lumba received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his enormous contribution to Ghanaian music over the years.
   The award was received by Abusuapanin Tupac on behalf of the late Daddy Lumba. The room fell into a reverent silence before erupting in applause. Daddy Lumba shaped the very soul of Ghanaian Highlife for decades, and to see the industry collectively pause to honour his legacy in front of a packed Grand Arena — that was the night’s most human, most necessary moment.
   It is a reminder that the TGMA, for all its controversies, still knows how to honour the giants on whose shoulders every current winner stands.

3. Stonebwoy Makes History — Again
   Stonebwoy claimed the Best Reggae/Dancehall Artist title for a record 10th time. Ten times. A full decade of dominance in a single category. No artist in TGMA history has commanded a genre category the way Stonebwoy owns Reggae/Dancehall. At this point, the trophy might as well have his name engraved on it permanently.
   This is not just an awards statistic. It is a monument to consistency, craft, and the kind of unrelenting output that no amount of industry politics can overlook.

4. Kojo Blak and Moliy: The New Generation Has Arrived
   Kojo Blak enjoyed a successful breakout night, sweeping two awards, while Moliy gained international recognition with two honours including International Collaboration of the Year for the remix of Shake It to the Max.
   Moliy’s victory is considered one of the biggest upsets of the night, especially in a category long dominated by Stonebwoy and established acts. The Ghanaian-American singer, who was not even physically present at the ceremony, took to Twitter shortly after to express her excitement. Her fans — the Molicocos — celebrated loudly, with one writing: “You truly deserved it, and you earned it through your hard work and resilience.”
   Kojo Blak’s Best New Artist win, combined with a Best Afrobeats Song award for Excellent featuring Kelvyn Boy, announced his arrival not as a prospect but as a fully formed force. The old guard should be paying attention.

5. Wendy Shay and Kofi Kinaata Hold It Down for the Veterans
   Wendy Shay won Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artist in a highly competitive category, receiving the award with graciousness — even acknowledging that fellow nominee KiDi, seated behind her, had personally wished her to win. After her AFRIMA Best Female Artist in West Africa win in January, Shay is building a continental résumé that demands respect.
   Kofi Kinaata, meanwhile, took home Best Highlife Song and Best Highlife Artist — cementing his reign in a genre that remains the emotional heartbeat of Ghanaian music.

⚠️ THE BAD: What Ghana’s Music Night Got Wrong

1. KiDi’s Snub Is Indefensible
   Let us say it plainly: KiDi being excluded from the Artist of the Year shortlist was one of the most baffling decisions of this awards cycle.
   KiDi’s absence from the Artist of the Year category surprised many music fans, given that the singer remained active during the year under review through performances, collaborations, and music releases. The “Touch It” hitmaker was gracious in response, saying awards schemes are subjective and that artistes cannot always control nomination decisions. But graciousness does not make the decision correct.
   KiDi’s Gymnastic with OliveTheBoy and Kojo Blak was one of the most-streamed records of the cycle. He was everywhere. His exclusion from the biggest category of the night felt less like a judging call and more like an oversight — and one that many in the industry quietly know was wrong.

2. Davido Winning Best Song — Over Ghanaian Artists
   Davido’s With You edged out African heavyweights to win Best Song of the Year. A Nigerian superstar. At the Ghana Music Awards. Winning the Song of the Year.
   The internet did not take this quietly. Social media erupted with a simple question: how, in an awards ceremony designed to celebrate Ghanaian music excellence, does a Nigerian artist claim the most universal song prize of the night over homegrown talent? It is a debate about the awards’ identity — and one that Charterhouse needs to address before the 28th edition.

3. The Venue Crisis That Exposed Ghana’s Infrastructure Gap
   Before a single envelope was opened, TGMA 2026 was already making headlines for the wrong reasons.
   Charterhouse Productions initially announced the Palms Convention Centre at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel as the venue after being informed that the Grand Arena at the Accra International Conference Centre would be unavailable due to planned renovations. The Palms Convention Centre, while elegant and functional, is a significantly smaller space and not designed for the scale, broadcast complexity, and audience size associated with Ghana’s biggest music awards event.
   Industry commentator Francis Doku of the Graphic Online wrote sharply: “The TGMA venue episode is not a failure. It is a warning signal. The question now is whether Ghana will listen — or wait for the next major event to once again expose the same gap.”
   In a continent where tourism, culture, and business events are increasingly strategic economic drivers, venue infrastructure is no longer a luxury. Ghana survived this particular scare when the Grand Arena became available again. Next time, it may not be so fortunate.

[IMAGE 3 — upload and insert here]

🔥 THE UGLY: Red Carpet Chaos, Shade, and That Pallbearer Comment

1. George Quaye Called the Guests Pallbearers. Yes, Really.
   If there was one quote from TGMA 2026 that will be screenshotted and shared for years, it belongs to entertainment personality George Quaye.
   On the red carpet, Quaye voiced his concerns over the dresses some individuals wore to the event, remarking that many people who attended were “looking like pallbearers.” He concluded by advising attendees to wear simple, comfortable clothes to such events.
   The backlash was immediate and ferocious. One social media user shot back: “Imagine TGMA getting cancelled for such an unnecessary take, coming from a man who’s at the forefront of making sure the show becomes a success.” Another wrote: “You think he is your mate? You’re sitting back trolling people.”
   Quaye — who was simultaneously celebrating his own outfit and designer — did not appear to register the irony of publicly humiliating guests at a celebration he helped organise.

2. The Fella Makafui Pre-Show Congratulations: Petty or Strategic?
   Actress Fella Makafui stirred social media drama after posting a congratulatory message to TGMA winners ahead of the ceremony. Her ex-husband, rapper Medikal, was heavily campaigning for the 2026 Artist of the Year award. Some netizens theorised that she was sending out the message before the show to avoid uncomfortable questions about Medikal in case he emerged victorious.
   Was it shade? Strategic neutrality? A calculated pivot? The internet, as always, had opinions in abundance. Medikal did not win Artist of the Year, but he did take home four awards — so the question of whether Fella’s early congratulations stung a little more than expected remains unanswered.

3. Black Sherif, Fella Makafui, and the Red Carpet Interviewer Who Almost Started Drama
   On the red carpet, interviewer Godwin Namboh alleged that actress Fella Makafui had been flirting with Black Sherif. Before the interviewer could say more, Black Sherif quickly cut him off and rubbished claims of any such behaviour from the actress towards him.
   Credit to Black Sherif for handling the moment with class. But the incident raised a serious question about the standard of red carpet conduct at Ghana’s premier music event. The night’s biggest winner spent part of his evening issuing disclaimers about things that never happened. That is not a good look for anyone.

4. Dr Likee Claims He Bought Efia Odo’s Dress. She Was Not Amused.
   Ghanaian comic actor Dr Likee claimed he was the one who bought the dress Efia Odo wore to the event. This did not sit well with Efia Odo, who quickly shut him down, saying what she wore to the event was bought by her new boyfriend.
   A red carpet. Ghana’s biggest music night. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a public argument about who paid for a dress. Only at TGMA.

The Verdict
The 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards was, like every great Ghanaian night out, a contradiction wrapped in sequins. It was triumphant and tone-deaf. Emotional and embarrassing. It crowned a generational talent in Black Sherif, honoured a legend in Daddy Lumba, unveiled the future in Kojo Blak and Moliy — and then handed a song of the year trophy to a Nigerian and sent the internet into meltdown.
The commercial aviation network safely transported more than five billion passengers — actually, that quote belongs in a different article. But the sentiment applies: Ghana’s music industry, like aviation, is a machine that mostly works. The incidents grab the headlines. The safe landings are what matter.
Pre-show analysis by Adomonline captured the energy of this year perfectly: “There are years when the TGMA shortlist tells a quiet story, and there are years when it explodes onto every timeline, every airwave, every street-corner debate from Tema to Tamale. This is the second kind of year.”
It was. And Ghana — in all its brilliant, infuriating, undeniable glory — would not have it any other way.

FULL WINNERS LIST — 27TH TGMA 2026
Artist of the Year — Black Sherif | Album/EP of the Year — Iron Boy by Black Sherif | Songwriter of the Year — Sacrifice by Black Sherif | Best HipHop Song — Where Dem Boys by Black Sherif | Best Afropop Song of the Year — Sacrifice by Black Sherif | Most Popular Song — Shoulder by Medikal ft. Shatta Wale and Beeztrap KOTM | Best Highlife Song — It Is Finished by Kofi Kinaata | Best Highlife Artist — Kofi Kinaata | Best Gospel Artist — Diana Hamilton | Best Reggae/Dancehall Artist — Stonebwoy | Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artist — Wendy Shay | Best New Artist — Kojo Blak | International Collaboration of the Year — Shake It To The Max Remix by Moliy ft. Shenseea, Skillibeng, and Silent Addy | Best Rap Performance — Strongman for Mensei Da | Best Music Video — Put Am On God by AratheJay | Best Group — Keche | Lifetime Achievement Award — Daddy Lumba

Sources: MyJoyOnline, YEN.com.gh, GhanaWeb, Pulse Ghana, Adomonline, Graphic Online, The Ghana Report, Wikipedia — Ghana Music Awards.

© 2026 NubianBiz. All rights reserved. Reproduction requires written permission.

Jules Nartey-Tokoli

See Full Bio