Ghana music awards started in the year 1999 in the view of awarding excellence in the music industry under the auspices of Charterhouse.
To be crowned “artiste of the year(AOTY)” isn’t an easy feat as those on the losing end sometimes “fumes” about being cheated.
Ghana music awards is now proudly sponsored by Vodafone Ghana, and it has seen 23 acts crowned AOTY so far.
Akyeame was the first artist/duo/group to win the AOTY in the maiden edition. This makes Okyeame Kwame the only artiste to win AOTY as member of a group and also, a solo act.
Since its inception in 1999, only Sarkodie has been the solo artiste to win AOTY on two occasions (2010 & 2012)
VIP is the only music group to also win AOTY twice(2004 & 2011).
Ebony Reigns and Diana Hamilton are the only female artists to win AOTY
Diana Hamilton and Joe Mettle are the only gospel musicians to win AOTY
NB: When the Ghana music awards started in 1999, the flagship award wasn’t the “artiste of the year”, it was “Song of the year”. In 2008, the flagship award was changed from “Song of the year” to the “Artiste of the year”, and Kwaw Kese was the first to win it.
Full list of winners;
1999 – Akyeame (Okyeame Kwame & Okyeame Quophi)
2000 – Daddy Lumba
2001 – Kojo Antwi
2002 – Lord Kenya
2003 – Kontihene
2004 – VIP
2005 – Obour
2006 – Ofori Amponsah
2007 – Samini
2008 – Kwaw Kese
2009 – Okyeame Kwame
2010 – Sarkodie
2011 – VIP
2012 – Sarkodie
2013 – R2Bees
2014 – Shatta Wale
2015 – Stonebwoy
2016 – E.L
2017 – Joe Mettle
2018 – Ebony (posthumously)
2019 – Annulled (due to Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy brawl)
2020 – Kuami Eugene
2021 – Diana Hamilton
2022 – Kidi
