The 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA 2026) nominations were announced on March 14, 2026, and they have already stirred massive conversation across Ghana’s music industry. While top artistes like Black Sherif, Medikal, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Wendy Shay, and Diana Hamilton secured multiple nominations in major categories, the excitement has been mixed with serious controversy.
Instead of pure celebration, many fans and industry players are questioning how the nominations were put together. Concerns about fairness, transparency, and possible favoritism have quickly taken over social media discussions.
Veteran rapper Kwaw Kese added fuel to the fire with a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), where he compared the awards scheme to “gob3,” a popular Ghanaian beans dish. According to him, the nomination process feels sudden and unclear, as if nominees just appear without any visible process. He even joked that the scheme should be renamed “Beans Music Awards.” His comments went viral, drawing both support and criticism.
While some people agreed with him and said he spoke the truth about how confusing the system looks, others felt he disrespected one of Ghana’s biggest award platforms and accused him of being bitter.
The nominations include major categories like Artiste of the Year, Telecel Most Popular Song of the Year, Best Hip Hop Song, Best Afropop Song, Best Music Video, and Songwriter of the Year. There are also categories for groups and newer additions like Best African Song and Music for Good. Big names, especially Black Sherif, are dominating several categories, while gospel and highlife artistes are also strongly represented.
However, the way the full nominee list was released without much buildup has left many people asking questions about how selections are made. Issues like industry politics, vote buying, and favoritism have once again come up, problems that have followed Ghana’s award schemes for years.
Social media is now divided. Some fans are backing Kwaw Kese for calling out the system, others are defending the awards, and many are simply enjoying the drama, turning the situation into memes and debates about who truly deserves to win.
Despite the controversy, the buzz has only made TGMA 2026 more exciting. Fans are already predicting who will take home the biggest awards, especially the Artiste of the Year. With all the noise and attention, this year’s TGMA is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about editions in recent times.
