TGMA 2026: Kwaw Kese mocks nomination process
17th March 2026
Ghanaian hiplife artist Kwaw Kese has taken a swipe at the organisers of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMAs), describing the 2026 nomination process as unclear and difficult for the public to follow.
His comments come after organisers, Charterhouse, unveiled nominees for the 27th edition of the awards on March 14, 2026. This year’s scheme features 22 categories, with several top-tier artists earning nominations across major slots.
Among the headline names are Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Kofi Kinaata, Wendy Shay, King Paluta, Black Sherif, Olivetheboy, Medikal, Shatta Wale and Diana Hamilton, who described her Artiste of the Year nomination as humbling.
According to the organisers, the nominations were compiled from entries submitted during the official filing window between January 20 and February 8, 2026.
However, Kwaw Kese has publicly questioned the transparency of the process. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the rapper criticised what he described as an unpredictable system that leaves industry players and fans unaware of how nominees are selected.
“Ghana Music Awards turn gobɛ. You just wake up one day, and there’s a nominees party, and you ask yourself how and when people got nominated,” he wrote.
He went on to sarcastically suggest that the scheme be renamed the “Beans Music Awards,” referencing the popular Ghanaian street food “gobɛ” (gob3), a metaphor implying a lack of structure or seriousness.
Kwaw Kese, born Emmanuel Botchwey, is not new to controversy within Ghana’s music industry. Despite being a past beneficiary of the awards—winning Artiste of the Year and four other awards in 2008—he has consistently maintained a critical stance toward industry systems he believes lack transparency.
His latest remarks have, however, sparked mixed reactions on social media. While some users acknowledged concerns about the awards scheme, many criticised the rapper, accusing him of being ungrateful given his past success at the same awards.
Others argued that artists were duly informed to submit their works for consideration and suggested that Kwaw Kese may not have been actively engaged with the process this year.
Meanwhile, Kwaw Kese is not the only public figure to question aspects of the 2026 nominations. Fashion critic Charlie Dior also criticised the awards board for omitting singer Cina Soul from the Album/EP of the Year category.
As discussions continue, the organisers of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards are yet to officially respond to the criticisms surrounding this year’s nominations.