Black Sherif and Wendy Shay are the top picks for the AOTY title
As the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards draws nearer the Artiste of the Year category has become the most fiercely debated topic in Ghana's entertainment space, and celebrities have not been silent.
The six artistes nominated for the position are Black Sherif, Medikal, Stonebwoy, Wendy Shay, Sarkodie, and Diana Hamilton.
The category has split industry figures into parts, with Wendy Shay and Black Sherif emerging as the two names most frequently tipped.
Here are some personalities and their predictions for the AOTY:
Kwesi Ernest: Wendy Shay
Entertainment analyst and artiste manager Kwesi Ernest has been one of Wendy Shay's loudest advocates.
"This year's Artiste of the Year award should go to her. She deserves to be nominated in all categories. She has worked so hard and invested a lot of money into her craft," he stated in an interview with GhanaWeb.
Reggie Rockstone: Wendy Shay
Hiplife pioneer Reggie Rockstone is also firmly in Wendy Shay's corner. Speaking on Joy FM, he said a win for the singer would be a refreshing and meaningful moment for the industry.
"It would be a beautiful story if Wendy picked it up. Of course I would love for Medikal too because he put in a lot of work. But it will be beautiful. It will make me smile really big," he said.
Black Sherif: Wendy Shay
Black Sherif himself has also thrown his weight behind Wendy Shay.
In an interview with Kafui Dey, the award-winning rapper expressed concern about what he described as inadequate recognition for the singer.
"I don't like how people are not mentioning Wendy Shay ein name for the 'Artist of the Year', because I feel she is eligible for artiste of the year this year. We should empower women," he said.
Sista Afia: Wendy Shay
Colleague musician Sista Afia also backed Wendy Shay for the Artiste of the Year title.
“Wendy Shay for AOTY,” she said on Facebook.
Bullgod: Black Sherif
On the other side of the debate, music executive Bullgod has been equally emphatic about Black Sherif.
Speaking on HitzFM, he declared: "I'm not even going to talk about Artiste of the Year because I strongly believe Black Sherif is going to take it."
MC Portfolio: Wendy Shay
Also backing Wendy Shay, entertainment pundit MC Portfolio cited strong competition but singled Wendy Shay for the win.
“It wouldn’t come as a shock if Black Sherif wins because he’s had an amazing year. But when you look at Wendy Shay’s journey as an independent artiste and a woman in this space, it’s something we cannot ignore,” he stated.
Fred Kyei Mensah: Wendy Shay
Veteran music producer and sound engineer Freddyma also threw his weight behind Wendy Shay.
“I have monitored Wendy Shay Official since her entry into the Showbiz Arena. Her consistency in terms of her songs, videos and live performances, are top notch... I hope that these modest achievements over the years would reflect in her quest to be above the horizon in the field of honours. Wishing her the best in the upcoming TGMA’s,”he said on Facebook.
Showboy: Wendy Shay or Black Sherif
"Blacko or Wendy Shay will win Artiste of the Year ...” he said in a post on social media.
Shishishi Man : Black Sherif or Wendy Shay
The entertainment commentator predicted a close call between Black Sherif and Wendy Shay on GhanaWeb’s TGMA Countdown Show.
Citizen Kafui: Black Sherif
Also speaking on the TGMA Countdown on GhanaWeb, the journalist and pundit is firmly in the Black Sherif camp.
If Wendy Shay wins, it will be her first time claiming the top award, the same would be true for Medikal.
Black Sherif and Diana Hamilton each have one Artiste of the Year title to their name, while Stonebwoy and Sarkodie have won it multiple times.
ID/EB
Watch the latest episode of TGMA Countdown: Team Kweku Smoke on nominations, venue issues:
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