Ghana Northern Music Awards Drops Six Categories Ahead of Maiden Edition
Organizers explain technical reasons behind decision as nominations spark public debate
The Ghana Northern Music Awards (GNMA) has officially announced the removal of six competitive categories from its nominations list ahead of the maiden edition of the awards scheme scheduled for 2025.
In a press statement released on its official Facebook page, the Board and Management of GNMA first congratulated all artistes who secured nominations, describing the milestone as a major step in celebrating musical excellence across Northern Ghana.
However, the Board disclosed that the decision to drop the affected categories was purely technical and based on the assessment of works submitted during the filing period. The categories dropped include Highlife Song of the Year, Highlife Artiste of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Traditional/Cultural Song of the Year, Traditional/Cultural Artiste of the Year, and Best Dance Challenge of the Year.
According to the statement, four artistes submitted entries for Highlife Song of the Year, but three of the songs did not fall within the stipulated year under review. The fourth song, although submitted as Highlife, was deemed a fusion of Highlife and Hiplife, making it ineligible under the category. As a result, the Board explained that the absence of a qualified Highlife song automatically rendered the Highlife Artiste of the Year category void.
On the Female Vocalist of the Year category, the Board revealed that three female artistes submitted works; however, after scrutiny by the technical team, none of the songs were found to contain sufficient vocal elements required to qualify for the category. This assessment led to the decision to drop the category entirely.
The statement further noted that no submissions were received for the Traditional/Cultural Song of the Year category, which in turn invalidated the Traditional/Cultural Artiste of the Year category. Similarly, no works were filed for Best Dance Challenge of the Year, leading to its removal.
Despite the dropped categories, GNMA assured stakeholders that all qualified submissions that met the year under review and technical requirements were duly nominated.
The Board also clarified that works which met the year criteria but were mistakenly submitted under wrong categories were realigned and approved for nomination, subject to the consent of the artistes involved.
The announcement comes amid growing public discourse on social media regarding the nominations, with the Board urging stakeholders to understand that the decisions were guided strictly by professional standards and laid-down guidelines.
GNMA reiterated its commitment to transparency, fairness, and credibility as it prepares to host its first-ever awards ceremony, aimed at setting new standards for music recognition in Northern Ghana.
