Vodafone Ghana together with Charterhouse, Ghana’s premier events company, have revealed the theme for this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards at the launch of the 14th edition of the most anticipated event on Ghana’s entertainment calendar.

It was announced that the VGMA will be taking Ghanaian music to ‘the next level’ in this year’s awards festival by encouraging musicians to think bigger when creating and marketing their music.

The second year of Vodafone’s sponsorship of the awards festival will give the power to music lovers by asking them to choose the location of this year’s VGMA Jam.

The ‘bring it to your city’ campaign allows music fans who want to experience Ghana’s prestigious music event in their region to text their location to short code 1767.

Charterhouse and Vodafone will then take a selection of the VGMA nominees to the region with the most votes for the party of the year.

Commenting on this year’s VGMA theme, Theresa Ayoade said ‘The VGMA Festival is evolving along with the Ghanaian music industry; we have rising artistes who have taken their music beyond the borders of Ghana and there’s also a lot of promising talent who need guidance to achieve success in the industry. We need to celebrate and support these artistes to enable them to take their music to the next level.’

This year’s Festival will include a series of ‘next level’ industry seminars’ where seasoned professionals on the international music scene will give local artistes guidance on marketing themselves and their music. ‘We need our artistes to understand what it takes to be a successful artiste so that they can channel their efforts into the right activities. I’m sure many of them have realised that it takes more than talent and a lot of hard work doing the right things is needed.’ Theresa continued.

Uche Ofodile, Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone Ghana gave Vodafone’s reaction to this year’s theme. ‘Our music strategy is to take our existing and new talent to the next level and this is reflected in all of our music properties. This year’s VGMA theme gives us the confidence that we have picked the right partner in empowering local artistes to project their creativity and talent.’ She maintained that Vodafone was very pleased with their first year of sponsorship. ‘We were very pleased with last year’s event and are looking for to an even better awards show this year.’

Uche revealed at the launch that Vodafone will be building on the success of last year’s VGMA Red Room and giving their customers a more intimate experience of the exclusive viewing lounge.

Full list of nominations below:

Artiste of the Year

R2Bees

D-Black

VIP

Kwaw Kese

Cwesi Oteng

4X4

Vodafone Song Of The Year

Bye-Bye – Asem Ft. Kwabena Kwabena

Life (Walahi) – R2Bees

Vera – D-Black

Ole Seke – Dr. Slim & Dobble

Aluguntugui – Keche

Azonto Fiesta – Appietus, Sarkodie & Kesse

Zaphanat Panea – Nicholas Omane Acheampong

Antenna – Fuse ODG

Best Collaboration Of The Year

Bye-Bye – Asem & Kwabena Kwabena

Ka No Seyaa – Herty Bongreat & Trigmatic

Ole Seke – Dr Slim & Dobble

Azonto Fiesta – Appietus, Sarkodie & Kesse

Sika – Okyeame Kwame & Kesse

No Away – Becca & MI

Hip Hop Song of the Year

Falling – D-Black Ft. Mo’Chedda

Heyba – Edem

Pizza & Burger – Sarkodie & Jayso

Makaa Maka – M.Anifest

Bayla – R2Bees

Hip Life Song of the Year

Kaalu – E.L.

Life (Walahi) – R2Bees

Ole Seke – Dr Slim & Dobble

Aluguntugui- Keche

Vera – D-Black Ft Joey B

Azonto Fiesta – Appietus, Sarkodie & Kesse

Mokoni – 4X4

Bye-Bye – Asem Ft Kwabena Kwabena

Azonto Ghost – Bisa

Pampanaa – VIP

Gospel Artiste of the Year

Herty Bongreat

Nicholas Omane Acheampong

Cwesi Oteng

Cynthia Mccauley

Obaapa Christy

Afro Pop Song of the Year

Antenna – Fuse ODG

No Away – Becca & MI

So High – Fatural Face

Best in Me – Efya

Papa – Jay Ghartey

Stone Bwoy Ft Irene Logan – Ghetto Love

Hip Life/Hip Hop Artiste of the Year

R2Bees

D-Black

Keche

4X4

VIP

E.L.

Gospel Song of the Year

Ka No Seyaa – Herty Bongreat Ft Trigmatic

Nkomhye – Cynthia Mccauley

Zaphanat Panea – Nicholas Omane Acheampong

Se Me Wo Nkwa Daa – Joe Dee Owusu Ft Amy Newman

God Dey Bless Me – Cwesi Oteng

African Artiste of the Year

Iyanya

P-Square

Davido

Flavour

D-Banj

Wizkid

Best Group of the Year

R2Bees

Keche

VIP

4X4

Highlife Song of the Year

Odo – R2Bees

Love of My Life – Afriyie Wutah

Lovi Dovi – Raquel

Paradise – D-Flex

Treat Her Royal – Kesse Ft Sarkodie

Highlife Artiste of the Year

Afriyie

D-Flex

Kesse

New Artiste of the Year

Lousika

Cynthia Mccauley

Natural Face

Kaakie

Reggae Dance Hall Song of the Year

Shatta City – Bandana

Our Africa – Blakk Rasta Ft Jay Anber

Go Go Wild – Eazzy Ft Jupiter

House of Pain – Knii Lante

Toffee Pon Tongue – Kaakie

Time Bomb – Samini Ft Wizkid

50% Board Vote Weighting & 50% Academy Voting Weighing

Album of the Year

Something Else – E.L.

Mercy Project – Cwesi Oteng

Mr. Versatile – Okyeame Kwame

The Revelation – D-Black

Solid Ground – Asem

Gospel Album of the Year

Back to the Sender – Obaa Christy

Wait – Cynthia Maccauley

Zaphanat Panea – Nicholas Omane Acheampong

Mercy Project – Cwesi Oteng

Christian Life – Joe Dee Owusu

Best Male Vocal Performance

Mugeez (R2Bees) – Odo

Chase – Lonely

Kwabena Kwabena – Bye-Bye

Knii Lante – House Of Pain

Afriyie – Love Of My Life

Best Female Vocal Performance

Becca – No Away

Raquel – Lovi Dovi

Efya – Best in Me

Yaa Yaa – Kae

Celestine Donkor – Me Nim Nguase

Adina – Let Me Go

Song Writer of the Year

Mugeez Abdul Rashid – Odo

Nana Wiafe Asante-Mensah & George Kwabena Adu – Bye-Bye

Kwame Nsiah Apau – Sika

Akwaboah – Best In Me

Frank Osei Afriyie – Love Of My Life

Kwame Tsikata –Makaa Maka

Nana Yaw Oduro – Not Alone

Record of the Year

Bye-Bye – Asem

Lonely – Chase

Best in Me – Efya

No Away – Becca

Sika – Okyeame Kwame

House of Pain – Knii Lante

Not Alone – Trigmatic

Best Rapper

Sarkodie – Azonto Fiesta

E.L. – Kaalu

Asem – Bye-Bye

M.Anifest – Makaa Maka

Edem – Heyba

Okyeame Kwame – Mr. Versatile

Producer of the Year

Kaywa

Killbeatz

Nshorna Music

Eyoh

E.L.

Appietus

Nicholas Omane Acheampong