The Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) – the crown jewel of Ghana's music scene – has once again stolen the spotlight, rolling out its 26th edition nominees to a whirlwind of excitement and, naturally, controversy.

As the ultimate symbol of musical achievement in Ghana, the TGMA announcement has ignited a mix of cheers and headshakes.

While some revel in the recognition of their favourite artistes, others are left puzzled by the glaring omissions and eyebrow-raising inconsistencies.

Understanding the Nomination Process

Before we dive into the whirlwind of opinions, it’s crucial to grasp the workings behind the TGMA’s nomination process. This award is designed to honour exceptional artistry and technical achievement, with a keen focus on both popularity and skill.

 A panel of judges and industry experts sift through a sea of submissions to create a shortlist of deserving candidates, ensuring that only the best make the cut.

This year, TGMA has introduced Best Urban Gospel Music; reintroduced Best Group and realigned category definitions– signaling an effort to keep the awards fresh and relevant.

Omissions, Commissions and inconsistencies

Every year, the release of nominations sparks a storm of controversy over omissions, commissions, and inconsistencies—and this year is no exception. While the music industry and its passionate fan base are quick to jump to conclusions, it’s worth taking a moment to truly understand the processes at play.

Behind the chaos, there’s often a method to the madness. In this article, we’ll unpack the nomination process, tackle the public outcry, and take a deep dive into the numbers that make TGMA 26 tick.

The Raw Numbers

This year’s TGMA will recognise 35 individuals and groups with 12 being Song Awards, eight Artiste Awards, 11 Technical Awards, two Honorary Awards and two Initiative Recognitions.

There are 28 competitive awards involving some 167 groups and individuals. There are 132 Straight Nominations and 38 Featured/associated Nominations. The scheme involves some 72 (72.72 percent) Males, 24 (24.24 percent) Females and 5 (5.05 percent) Groups.

King Promise had the most nominations with 10, followed by Stonebwoy with nine  and Team Eternity with eight. Black Sherif had seven, King Paluta, Kweku Smoke, Sarkodie, Beeztrap KOTM, Joe Mettle and Kofi Kinaata had had six nominations each.

What the Numbers Say

The numbers paint a troubling picture for women in the music industry. There’s a strong possibility that, aside from gender-biased awards, no woman will walk away with an accolade this year. It's high time the scheme and the industry at large embrace affirmative action initiatives that not only foster but also protect and elevate women within the music space.

Furthermore, the scheme needs to take a hard look at how popularity is measured. While Black Sherif racked up a high number of nominations, no one would argue that he was among the most popular artiste in the year under review.

He didn’t have what the streets would call a "monster hit," and by no industry or social measure was he the dominant force. Yet, streaming data seemed to tip the scales in his favour. The organisers need to understand that having a major distributor behind you means landing on the biggest playlists, getting recommended, and seeing those numbers rise—but that doesn’t necessarily equal popularity.

A deep dive into Ghana Music Live’s radio airplay data, which spans 176 radio stations across the country, shows that Black Sherif didn’t crack the top 10 in any region throughout the year. So, how does he make the top 10 list of a popular award scheme without being truly popular? The scheme needs to rethink its overreliance on streaming data, especially since numbers can easily be manipulated or "farmed."

The numbers also reveal another key issue: aside from Best Video, Best Collaboration, and Best International Collaboration, no artiste was nominated twice in any category. This raises a major question.

Probably, according to board guidelines, which have been shaped by years of artiste outcry, the scheme has chosen to avoid putting multiple songs from the same artiste within the same category, selecting what they deem to be the artiste’s best representation based on “streaming numbers.”

While this may be fair to the board, it may not accurately reflect the industry or music trends. Should artistes be forced to limit themselves to promoting just one song or releasing only one track? This is an important conversation that needs to be had, one that could shape the future of music awards in Ghana.

Records

This year’s TGMA is breaking records in more ways than one. For starters, it marks the highest number of nominations ever received by a Gospel group with Team Eternity taking home an impressive eight nominations.

On the flip side, it’s also set the unfortunate record for the lowest female representation, with women making up just 24.24 percent of the nominations. But it’s not all bad news—the ceremony will also present the highest number of awards ever (34), a record of its own, making this a year of highs and lows for the scheme.

Important Notices

In an attempt to make a clear distinction between Best Urban/Contemporary Gospel Song and Best Gospel Song, the scheme introduced the term "Traditional" in their official flyers, dubbing it the "Best Traditional Gospel Song." If this wasn’t a simple oversight, then the scheme needs to take a hard look at that choice, as "Traditional" in Ghanaian music has a very specific meaning—and it might end up muddying the waters instead of clarifying them.

Perhaps, it’s time to release the nominations with a bit more context, so we can finally put an end to all the rumours and speculations. A little transparency could go a long way in preserving credibility and cutting down on the drama.

While I’m not advocating for the board to spill all their data (they’re neither authorised nor capable of doing so), offering a few well-placed explanations wouldn’t hurt. A little proactive communication could save everyone a lot of confusion and headaches.

Towards a More Inclusive and Transparent Scheme

The TGMA remains the most prestigious music award event in Ghana, shaping the direction of the country’s music industry and honouring the creativity and hard work of its artists.

 However, for the awards to retain their relevance and respect, the board must acknowledge and address the concerns raised by the public. By improving transparency and ensuring that all deserving talent is recognised, the TGMA can continue to evolve into a more inclusive and accountable platform.

As we eagerly await the main event, let’s hope the TGMA takes heed of the criticisms and fine-tunes its processes. After all, the ultimate goal should be to honour excellence in Ghanaian music in a fair and transparent manner, leaving no stone unturned in the quest to celebrate the industry’s brightest stars.