BY Nadia Ntiamoah
Ghanaian music sensation Black Sherif emerged as the biggest winner at the 27th edition of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) after clinching the coveted Artiste of the Year award at a star-studded ceremony held at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
The annual awards ceremony, regarded as the most prestigious music awards platform, brought together leading musicians, entertainment personalities, industry players and fans to celebrate excellence in Ghanaian music over the past year.
Despite earlier uncertainty over the venue and organisation of the event, the ceremony ended successfully with thrilling performances and major victories for some of the country’s biggest acts.
Black Sherif, popularly called Blacko, beat competition from strong contenders including Medikal, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Wendy Shay and Diana Hamilton to win the topmost award of the night, further cementing his status as one of the most influential artistes in Ghana today.
In addition to the Artiste of the Year honour, Black Sherif swept several major awards on the night. His critically acclaimed project “Iron Boy” won Album/EP of the Year, while his hit song “Sacrifice” earned him both Best Afropop Song and Songwriter of the Year.
He also secured the Best Hiphop Song category with “Where Dem Boys,” making him one of the most decorated artistes of the evening.
Rapper Medikal also enjoyed a successful outing at the awards after winning multiple honours. His hit collaboration “Shoulder” featuring Shatta Wale and Beeztrap KOTM won both Best Hiplife Song and the highly competitive Most Popular Song of the Year award.
Medikal additionally walked away with the Best Hiplife/Hiphop Artiste award, reaffirming his dominance in the rap scene.
In the highlife categories, celebrated musician Kofi Kinaata emerged as a double winner after his song “It Is Finished” won Best Highlife Song, while he was also adjudged Best Highlife Artiste ahead of competitors including Fameye, King Paluta, Kwabena Kwabena and Kuami Eugene.
The gospel fraternity also recorded significant wins during the ceremony. Gospel singer Diana Hamilton was named Best Gospel Artiste, while Piesie Esther won Best Traditional Gospel Song with “Nyame Ye.”
Another gospel victory came through Kofi Owusu Peprah, whose song “Big God Afro” won Best Urban/Contemporary Gospel Song.
The Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste category was won by Stonebwoy, who once again demonstrated his continued influence in the reggae and dancehall genre.
Meanwhile, rising global sensation Moliy won Best Reggae/Dancehall Song and International Collaboration of the Year with “Shake It to the Max Remix,” featuring Jamaican stars Shenseea and Skillibeng.
In the Afrobeats category, singer Wendy Shay was adjudged Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste, beating competition from KiDi, Kojo Blak, Olivetheboy, Gyakie and Moliy.
Fast-rising artiste Kojo Blak was crowned Best New Artiste after a breakthrough year that saw him gain massive recognition within the music industry.
His collaboration “Excellent” with Kelvynboy was also nominated in multiple categories during the awards night.
Rapper Strongman secured the Best Rap Performance award with his song “Mensei Da,” while AratheJay won Best Music Video with “Put Am On God,” directed by David Duncan.
The vocal performance categories also produced deserving winners, with Asiama winning Best Male Vocal Performance for “Akoma,” while singer Enam took home the Best Female Vocal Performance award for “Amin.”
Black Sherif’s latest triumph adds to his remarkable rise in the music industry since his breakthrough with songs such as “Second Sermon” and “Kwaku The Traveller.”
Over the years, he has built a strong reputation for his storytelling ability, emotional lyrics and unique blend of drill, Afro-fusion and highlife influences, earning admiration both locally and internationally.
The 2026 TGMA once again highlighted the growth and diversity of Ghanaian music, with artistes across hiplife, gospel, Afrobeats, reggae, dancehall and highlife receiving recognition for their contributions to the entertainment industry.
