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Ghana music awards nominations for 2008 out!

Updated! Check out the winners in this blog entry

The wait is over! After a number of forums held to discuss the future of the GMAs (Ghana Music Awards) and controversy over who gets nominated and wins, the nominations are finally out. The gospel artistes have used their chart and airplay dominance over last year to acquire the most award nominations as well. Chief amongst them is Ohemaa Mercy, Pastor Lenny Akpadie and newcomer, Cee.

Let's see who the gunners for the various categories are.

For artiste of the year, we have
1. Ohemaa Mercy
2. Shasha Marley
3. Kwaw Kese
4. Becca
5. Ofori Amponsah
6. Rev. Lenny Akpadie
I am not sure what the criteria for this award is, whether it is measured by popularity, record sales, newsmaking or great performances. Judging by the way the award has been handed out in past years, you may go with Mr. All4Real but I think Kwaw Kese dominated 2007 and will probably take this one. The dark horse is Becca, I doubt this award goes to a gospel artiste. Hey, I have nothing against them.

The song of the year nominations are
1. Awurade Asem - Cee
2. African Girls - 5five
3. Most High God - Lenny Akpadie
4. Odwo - Ofori Amponsah
5. Edin Jesus - Ohemaa Mercy
6. Odiem - Kwaw Kese
I am very surprised Becca's U lied to me was not nominated. It was arguably the most popular ringtone for Ghanaians for last year. African girl enjoyed tremendous airplay at night clubs that played mostly English or mostly Twi songs. Cee's stint at Mentor drove her popularity as well. I have a feeling Akpadie's Most High God song may win and I think this year is gospel's year. Which might very well mean a victory for Ohenmaa Mercy.

Album of the year nominations
1. Lost & Found - Shasha Marley
2. Tokrom - Daddy Lumba
3. Edin Jesus - Ohenmaa Mercy
4. 6 O’clock - K. K. Fosu
5. Abodam 2007 - Kwaw Kesse
6. Setee - Daasebre Dwamena
7. Osaberima - Cee
Ohemaa Mercy should win this award. She had too many popular songs - Wadwen, Edin Jesus, Fefeefe, Menwu da, etc. The only other nominee who matched her with airplay would be Cee. Daasebre had some great songs but not the airplay to back it.

Record of the year - album and artiste
1. Esum - Kontihene
2. Sugar - Becca
3. Lost & Found - Shasha Marley
4. Unveiled - Irene and Jane
5. One day - Sister Lydia
I am confused by the award. I don't know how it is different from the one before. All I can say is I think Lost & Found was the best album out of this lot but Sugar and Esum enjoyed better airplay. It's a toss-up, but I'll go with Becca here.

Discovery of the year, should also be read as new artiste of the year
1. Kwame Adinkra
2. 5five
3. Cee
4. Irene and Jane
5. Becca
This award is for Becca. Becca has been hailed for her performances and hard work. Also, she's broke out as a female artiste who doesn't necessarily do hiplife or highlife. She has the most potential of the lot - that's a discovery.

male vocal performance of the year
1. Adane Best
2. K.K Fosu
3. Nana Quame
4. Shasha Marley
5. Chemphe
Nana Quame is here but Ofori Amponsah is nowhere to be found? Is the GMA nominations committee telling us Nana Quame is a better singer than Mr. All4Real? Can we just hand the award to him then? Normally, the award goes to the dude with the best voice and that may be Chemphe here. Not so fast, I think K.K. Fosu wins this one, it's about time.

female vocal performance of the year
1. Cee
2. Irene & Jane
3. Ohemaa Mercy
4. Becca
5. Diana Hamilton Antwi
Which of these artistes is known for their voice? Yes, it is Cee - she is called 'powerful voice'. That ends the discussion right there for me.

pop song of the year
1. Ta’di Mbesiafo – 2 Wise men
2. Hot Girls dot com – 4X4
3. Babe - Irene and Jane
4. African Girls – 5five
5. You lied to me – Becca
I have a feeling Becca would win this award due to her song's popularity but I think the award should go to Afrikan Girlz by 5Five. So beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

Highlife song of the year
1. Ma me kiss - Nana Owusu
2. Sete - Daasebre Dwamena
3. Obaapa - K. K. Fosu
4. Odwo - Ofori Amponsah
6. Adesa - Adane Best
7. Motiahene - Kwame Adinkra
Whether you look out for popularity, quality of the song or any other intangible, this should be Ofori Amponsah's award. Dark horses are Obaa pa and Sete. And who at all is this Kwame Adinkra guy? Congrats to Nana Wusu on the nomination as well, he's been in the game a long time.

Highlife artiste of the year
1. K. K. Fosu
2. Daasebre Dwamena
3. Ofori Amponsah
4. Daddy Lumba (DL)
Only four artistes? I think this award would go to Ofori Amponsah as well but Daasebre's newsmaking may also push him over the top.

Highlife album of the year - album and artiste
1. Tokrom - Daddy Lumba
2. Odwo - Ofori Amponsah
3. 6 O’clock - K. K. Fosu
4. Adesa - Adani Best
5. Setee - Daasebre Dwamena
6. Motiahene - Kwame Adinkra
For these kinds of awards, I seek out popularity and the quality of the songs. I want to go for 6 o'clock here but I feel sometimes Mr. All4Real's popularity wins him most things. It would be nice to see Adane Best win too.

hiplife song of the year - song/artiste
1. Letter to Parliament - A Plus
2. Sweetie - Andy
3. Kro hin kro - Kontihene
4. Odiem - Kwaw Kese
5. Fili Gadochi - Mframma
6. Kaa Bu Ame - Tinny
Yes, hiplife had a down year in 2007 and 2008 may follow suit. Hiplife didn't enjoy the popularity it had and album sales suffered a massive blow. I want to A-Plus to win, his song generated a lot of airplay and controversy and I feel was the most important song of 2007. Odiem and Sweetie were more popular and I feel Kwaw Kese may run away with this one.

Hiplife artiste of the year
1. 5five
2. Kontihene
3. Tinny
4. Kwaw Kese
5. 4×4
"Fa wo nsa bO w'adwene mu na ka dE AbOdam" - This award is for Kwaw Kese.

Hiplife album of the year - album/artiste
1. Abodam 2007 - Kwaw Kese
2. Asum - Kontihene
3. Kaa bu ame - Tinny
4. Ur Luv - 5Five
Only four nominees? In a year, where we couldn't even find the albums to buy, how are we gonna judge which album is better than the other? This is a close race but I will stick out for Tinny here. I think he had an overall better album. Kontihene's Esum disappointed me a little and the others are not at the point to produce enough great songs to rival the cats who've been around longer.

Gospel song of the year
1. Onyame a otease – Ernest Opoku Jnr.
2. Most High God – Pastor Lenny Akpadi
3. Osoro be kasa – Diana Hamilton Antwi
4. Awurade asem – Cee
5. Edin Jesus - Ohemaa Mercy
6. Meda w’ase – Moses O.K.
Why is Edin Jesus nominated and not Fefeefe or Wadwen? This song is not a popularity award. Personally I will give it to Awurade Asem, that song is great, God bless her heart for that one. Akpadie or Ohemaa Mercy may win this one though.

Gospel artiste of the year
1. Josh Laryea
2. Cee
3. Rev. Lenny Akpadie
4. Ohemaa Mercy
5. Ernest Opoku Jnr.
6. Grace Ashy
7. Moses O.K
8. Evan. Diana Asamoah
Does this award go to the musician with the most popular songs, best videos, best performances or popularity in general? I like Grace Ashy for what she's been doing for supporting Ghana with cheer songs too. I think this award would be picked up by Pastor Lenny Akpadie but I feel Cee or Ohemaa Mercy should win it.

Gospel album of the year - album/artiste
1. Edin Jesus - Ohemaa Mercy
2. Osaberima - Cee
3. Onyame a otiase - Ernest Opoku
4. Meda Wase - Moses O. K.
5. One day - Sister Lydia
6. Madansidie - Evan. Diana Asamoah
I would be very disappointed if Ohemaa Mercy doesn't win this one.

Reggae song of the year
1. Why you dey beat am – Chemphe
2. Doubting me (Mama Africa) – Black Prophet
3. Tene wonsa – Borax
4. Maata Family – Shasha Marley
5. Wompa gya Ntum – Ekow Micah
6. No matter what dem do – Nana Owusu
Like someone said earlier on this website, Maata Family should win. Is this Nana Wusu with a nomination too?

Best collaboration - song/artistes
1. Awurade Asem - Cee/Isaac/Ampong
2. You lied to me - Becca/Kwabena Kwabena
3. Me wo biom - Ohemaa Mercy/ Naa Cee
4. Odwo - Ofori Amponsah/Samini
5. Kro hin kro - Kontihene/King Chorus
6. Obi ate me so buo - Daddy Lumba/Okyeame Kwame
This is always the most hotly contested race. It is not easy to overlook the starpower on the Odwo song. Samini and All4Real are pretty much Ghana's biggest artistes and that collabo was excellent. Odwo - final choice.

You can make your vote count. GO support your star.
You can call MTN short code 1750 (in Ghana) to vote.