VGMA 23 Nominations: Kidi, Sarkodie and others battle for Artiste of the Year award

Nominees for the Artiste of the Year for the 23rd edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards have been announced by organizers, Charterhouse.

Sarkodie who has won this category twice (2010, 2012) would be looking to win it for the third time in a highly contested category which has the likes Kuami Eugene, Kidi, King Promise, Black Sherif and Joe Mettle vying for the prestigious award.

Sarkodie, who has 25 VGMAs, was also nominated for the Best Rap Performance, Best Collaboration, Album/EP of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Hiplife Song, among others.

Kidi also received nominations for Best Male Vocal Performance, Best Reggae/Dancehall Song, Album/EP of the Year, Best Afropop/Afrobeats Artiste, Most Popular Song of the Year, Video of the Year, among others.

Black Sherif who has had a blistering start to his music career was also nominated for the Best New Artiste of the Year together with Kweku Darlington, Black Sherif, Mona 4 Real, Kwame Yogot and Scott Evans.

The “2nd Sermon” hitmaker also received nominations for Most Popular Song of the Year, Best International Collaboration, Best Hip Hop Song and Best Male Performance.

Reigning Artiste of the Year Diana Hamilton was nominated for the Best Gospel Artiste of the Year which had the likes of Obaapa Christy, Celestine Donkor, Joe Mettle, Empress Gifty and Ohemaa Mercy.

Joe Mettle who won the 2017 Artiste of the Year also bagged the Best Male Vocal Performance of the Year, Album/EP of the Year and Best Gospel Song of the Year.

Stonebwoy who is making a return to the awards scheme after a two-year absence has been nominated for Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste which also has Epixode, Samini and Larusso.

Kofi Kinaata, having won the 2021 Best Songwriter of the Year will be looking to maintain his accolade in this year’s awards with the likes of Akwaboah, Fameye, Minister OJ, Abiani, and Diana Hamilton all nominated in the category.

Bisa Kdei who won the Best Highlife Artiste in 2016 has been nominated in the same category including the likes of Kuami Eugene, Cina Soul, Akwaboah, Kofi Kinaata and

This year’s VGMA themed: “For the Culture, For the People and for the Culture” is scheduled for the 6th and 7th May 2022.