Shatta Wale wins award at 39th IRAWMA

• Shatta Wale has been adjudged 'Best Virtual Entertainer of the Year' at IRAWMA 2021

• Kwame Yeboah and DJ Switch also picked awards on the night

• The event was held on May 16, 2021

Ghana’s Shatta Wale was one of the few Ghanaians who could pick up an award when the winners for the 39th edition of International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA 2021) were announced last night.

This year’s award was held virtually on Sunday, May 2, under the theme, ‘Reggae/World Music Still Rise.'

Shatta Wale won the award for the 'Best Virtual Entertainer Of The Year' category.

Aside from Shatta Wale, Ghana’s DJ Switch and Kwame Yeboah also made the country proud by winning in some categories of the awards.

Below is the full list of winners:

1.Emperor of Reggae & World Music – Hon. Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year

Buju Banton *WINNER

Koffee

PopCaan

Protoje

Sizzla Kolongi

2. Peter Tosh Award for Recording Artist of the Year – Sponsored by IRIE FM

Buju Banton

Koffee

PopCaan

Protoje

Tarrus Riley

3. Jacob Miller Award for Best Male Vocalist – Sponsored by

Chronixx

Gramps Morgan

Proteje

Romain Virgo

Tarrus Riley *WINNER

4. Best Female Vocalist – Sponsored by Missyquai Signature Hair

Etana

Koffee *WINNER

Lila Ike

Sevana

Noami Cowan

5. Gregory Isaacs for Best Song – Sponsored by DSE (Downsound Entertainment)

“Blessed”- Buju Banton

“People LIke You” – Gramps Morgan

“Lock Down”- Koffee *WINNER

“Like Royalty”- Protoje & PopCaan

“Lighter” – Taurus Riley & Shenseea & Rvssian

6. Toots Hibbert Award for Best Album/CD – By MCGES (Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sports)

“Upside Down- Buju Banton *WINNER

“In Search of Lost Time”- Protoje

“Higher Place”- Skip Marley

“One World” – The Wailers, featuring Skip Marley, Farruko, Shaggy and Cedella Marley.

“Hot Shot 2020”- Shaggy

7. Best Crossover Song

“People Like You” – Gramps Morgan

“Don’t Walk Away”- John Legend, featuring Koffee

”Party Next Door” – PopCaan, featuring Drake *WINNER

“I Don’t Know Why” – Rvissian, featuring Shenseea, Swae Lee and Young Tug

”Slow Down”- Ship Marley and “H.E.R.”

8. Best Gospel Song

“Forgiveness”- Eddie Neblett

“People Like You” – Gramps Morgan *WINNER

”Carry Me” – Kevin Downswell

“Watch Over Me” – Jermaine Edwards

“I’m Gonna Trust You” – Judith Gayle

9. U-Roy Award for Best Male Dancehall Artist

Beenie Man

Buju Banton

Bounty Killer

Govana

Popcaan

10. Best Female Dancehall Artist

D’Angel

Jada Kingdom

Shenseea

Spice

Stefflon Don

11. Best New Entertainer – Sponsored by IRIE JAM – 360

Alicia Harley – Jamaica

Nailah Blackman- Trinidad

Nomcebo Zikode – South Africa *WINNER

Sevena – Jamaica

Skillibeng – Jamaica

12. Best Virtual Entertainer of the Year

Agent Sasco

Beenie Man & Bounty Killer – Verzuz

Buju Banton

Capleton

Shatta Wale *WINNER

13. Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer

Farmer Nappy

Kes

Nadia Batson

Nailah Blackman

Patrice Roberts

14. Best Dancehall Stagecraft Entertainer – Sponsored by Onstage TV Winford Williams

Agent Sasco

Beenie Man & Bounty Killer- Verzuz Battle

Buju Banton

Desta Daps

Sizzla Kalonji

Spice

15. Best Latin – Reggae Flavor Entertainer

Bad Bunny – Puerto Rico

Daddy Yankee *WINNER

Don Omar

J. Balvin

Ozuna

16. Best African Dancehall Entertainer

Buffalo Souljah – South Africa

Shatta Wale – Ghana

Stonebwoy – Ghana

Patoranking – Nigeria

Winky D – Zimbabwe *WINNER

17. Best Afrobeat Entertainer – Sponsored by African Spectrum

Burna Boy – Nigeria

Davido – Nigeria

Diamond Platnumz – Tanzania

Master KG, featuring Nomcebo Zikode “Jerusalema” – South Africa

Wizkid – Nigeria

18 . Best Virtual Showcase/Concert

Beenie Man vs Bounty Verzuz Battle

Rebel Salute

Reggae Sumfest

Sarkodie – Black Love Virtual Concert

19. Best R&B/Hip Hop & Reggae Collaborated Song

“Trust” – Buju Banton and Tory Lanez

”Slow Down”- Skip Marley and H.E.R

”Twist” – Drake & Popcaan *WINNER

“Don’t Walk Away”- Koffee – featuring John Legend

“Love Mi Ladies“ – Oryane – featuring Sean Paul

20. Best Reggae Rock Entertainer

Gentleman *WINNER

Rebelution Band

SOJA

Slightly Stoopid

Stick Figure

21. Best Young Entertainer (18 years and under) – Portland Curry Fest

DJ Switch * WINNER

DJ Whitney

Kailash

Wayne J.

22. Best Music Video

Buju Banton “Blessed”

Master KG, featuring Nomcebo- “Jerusalema” *WINNER

Sevana – “ Mango”

Taurus Riley & Shenseea “Lighter”

Sean Paul- “Love Me Ladies”

The Wailers, featuring Skip Marley, Farruko, Shaggy and Cedella Marley- “One World”

23. Mutabaruka Award for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer

Antonia Valaire, Aka Christina Williams

Malachi Smith

Richie Innocent

Vachi Kepwe Di Poet – Zimbabwe *WINNER

Wise Wurdz

24. Most Cultural/Educational Entertainer

Anthony B.

Capleton

Ras Takura - WINNER

Mutabaruka

Kabaka Pyramid

25. Dennis Brown Award for Most Promising Entertainer

Bugle

Lila Ike

Orisha Sound

Sevana - WINNER

Skillibeng

26. Best Instrumentalist – Sponsored by 25th Century Radio

Dean Fraser

Kubix

Bongo Herman

Kwame Yeboah - WINNER

Sly & Robbie

27. Best Sound System/DJ

Dynamq – Africa *WINNER

Little Thunder – Canada

Pink Panther – Jamaica

Tony Matterhorn – Jamaica

28. Best Caribbean Entertainer – Sponsored by VP Records

Beenie Man

Bounty Killer

Buju Banton

Kes

Sean Paul

29. Record Producer of the Year – Sponsored by Balloons by Jaki Jade

Chimney Records - WINNER

Dane Ray

Andron “IzyBeats” Cross

Notnice

Rvssian

30. Comedian of the Year

Chris “Johnny” Daley - WINNER

Ity & Fancy Cat

Majah Hype

Oliver Samuels

Prince Pine

31. Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award Nominees

Bounty Killer

Buju Banton -WINNER

Sharon Wiles

Sonia Patterson- Portland Curry Fest.

IRAWMA Award of Honor: Papa Michigan

IRAWMA Special Philanthropist Award: Josef Bogdanovich

RAWMA 2021 Inductee IRAWMA Hall of Fame/ Lifetime Achievement Award recipient: Ziggy Marley.