Ghana's music industry has seen a whole lot of different kinds of musicians come and go.
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Top 10 Ghanaian artistes of the last decade
Ghana's music has evolved over the last decade. From highlife to Afrobeats to hiplife to hip-hop and gospel music, local Ghanaian musicians have covered every corner of the industry and have proven beyond every reasonable doubt that they understand the music business.
Sarkodie, Wendy Shay and Shatta Wale
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There are some who classify reign and success as making financial gains.
Others also define it by relevance and consistency.
From our research, these are our top 10 artists in the last decade with the basis of relevance, longevity and consistency, awards, and general influence.
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Sarkodie
Currently one of the most streamed music act, the “countryside” hitmaker has added some rich content into the scene, a reason why he has dominated charts in the last 10 years. He holds the record of the most-watched rapper in Africa, released a plethora of hit singles, and won prestigious local and international awards including BET Awards and BET Hip Hop Awards.
The artiste has paid his dues in the industry which led him to win the artiste of the decade award at the 2019 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
The previous decade and first-ever award for this category was won by Kojo Antwi.
Sarkodie has received 108 awards from 195 nominations, including 25 Ghana Music Awards, 4syte TV Music Video Awards, and Ghana Music Awards as well as a nomination at the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards, his first BET Awards, The Headies, Ghana Music Awards, National Youth Achievement Awards, MOBO Awards, and Channel O Music Video Awards among others.
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Shatta Wale
Shatta Wale is among the best musicians in Ghana. The 38-year-old Accra native is among the top highlife, hiplife, reggae, and Afrobeat artists in Ghana. Shatta Wale started singing in 2004 and was previously known as Bandana.
His song ‘Dancehall king’ saw his breakthrough, as it made him win the 2014 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards and increased his fanbase.
Easily one of the most controversial musicians around, Shatta Wale is the name on the lips of almost every ghetto youth in Ghana thanks to his enviable and no-nonsense fan army, Shatta Movement Family (SM). A PR strategist, he appears to be nonchalant when he is on his best behavior but roars like a lion when least provoked. Despite this, Shatta Wale has given Ghanaians more than they asked for we mean he has released more hits and good music for any type of mood. He hosts one of the biggest end-of-year concerts in Ghana and has uncountable awards to his credit.
Stonebwoy
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Stone Bwoy has been active in the music scene since 2009. The Afro-pop and dancehall singer has never let his fans down as he keeps releasing hit after hit. Stone Bwoy is known for songs like Go Higher, Tuff Seed, and Most Original.
His work is recognized in Africa and abroad. The Ghanaian artist won the Best International Act: Africa category at the 2015 BET Awards and Artist of the year at the 2015 edition of the Ghana Music Awards.
Stonebwoy’s career spans almost a decade and is recognised for his brilliant stagecraft and quality music. He doesn’t compromise for less when it comes to the quality of his recordings a reason why a lot of people rate him over other artists whenever arguments about their legacy and talents arise. The “People Dey” hitmaker has worked with top international artists including Sean Paul and Beenie Man, won many local and international awards, dropped some of the hottest singles in Ghana, and has successfully hosted a lot of end-of-year concerts in Ghana for years.
KiDi
If you are a close follower of all TikTok trends, it is almost impossible you have never heard “Shut up… and bend over”. These words were sung by 29-year-old pop icon known for his blend of RnB, Afrobeats, and Afropop Dennis Nana Dwamena popularly called KiDi.
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This short extract, which is taken from the track “Touch It”, propelled the singer’s second album “The Golden Boy” to millions of streams, views, and an international audience, eager to hear and enjoy the freshest African sounds.
This song was simply untouchable. It became the most Streamed Ghanaian song ever on Spotify and set all sorts of records after only a few months of release.
The superstar who took a leap of faith in 2015, by joining the MTN Hitmaker competition shot to prominence in 2017 when he released "Say You Love Me" a song he not only composed but also arranged and produced.
KiDi also established himself as one of the fastest-rising stars in Ghana when he released yet another chart-topper titled "Odo" in July 2017, the remix with Nigerian artist Davido and Mayorkun in December 2017, and Adiepena in April 2018.
Before he emerged as Artiste of the Year at the 23rd Edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, the artist dominated the year under review.
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His most popular song ‘Touch it’ blessed the industry with 21 million + streams on audio platforms, 16.9 million+ views on YouTube, 125+ million views on Tiktok.
It’s #11 on Billboard World Digital Sales, #7 on UK Afrobeat Chart, #61 on Global Shazam Chart, trending in over 28 countries on Shazam, charting in over 51 countries on Spotify, and charting in over 49 countries on Apple Music.
Kwame Eugene
From growing up on the streets of Fadama to climbing the ladder of fame, Ghanaian High-life singer and songwriter, Kuami Eugene has definitely put in the work.
The LYNX entertainment signee who was crowned the 2020 VGMA Artiste of the Year over the likes of Sarkodie, Medikal, Kofi Kinataa, and Diana Hamilton has been a definition of hard work and dedication.
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Kuami Eugene is among those who have leveraged the golden opportunity given by the MTN Hitmaker reality show to launch their music career. MTN Hitmaker is a platform made available for music amateurs to discover and nurture their talents. Eugene got public recognition after he participated in the fifth season of the show in 2016. Though he did not emerge as the winner, he finished in third place.
His superb performance on the show caught the sight of a leading record label, Lynx Entertainment. Not long after, he was signed to the record label through which he released his first song, “Angela” and has gone on to achieve greatness in the music industry.
Having achieved so much success in a short while, Kuami Eugene sure has quite a lot to offer the Ghanaian music industry. The success of his music has earned him a chance to perform in both local and international shows. He has notably featured in shows like the Oh My Festival in Amsterdam, Afronation in Ghana, Afrobeats to the World concert at the Playstation Theatre in New York, etc.
Even though Kuami’s music has had its twists and turns, he is today celebrated as one of the most successful and famous faces in the Ghanaian music industry. Angela climbed Apple Music Chart Ghana, Spotify, Boomplay, and other top music streaming platforms for a long time.
Diana Hamilton
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The first gospel female who made history by picking up the prestigious and ultimate Artiste of The Year Award at the VGMA 2021 is no other than the finest Diana Hamilton.
Her viral song “Adom (Grace)” was widely accepted by both Ghanaian and her international fans, with lots of people not getting enough of it. Countless individuals have used the song for their weddings, parties, and has become an anthem in churches.
Diana Hamilton is one of the most sought-after gospel musicians in Ghana in recent times. Of course, you can’t list top gospel musicians in Ghana without including Diana.
The ‘Awake Experience with Diana Hamilton’ is a gospel music concert that started in 2014 in London with Ghana hosting its first edition in 2016 headlined by the gospel singer.
Diana has a strong passion to draw God’s people to Him through worship and praises. She is an anointed worship leader who has led worship all over the world in countries like the UK, USA, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Holland, and Germany.
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She has had a thrilling career by winning multiple awards including Best Female Artiste at the Africa Gospel Awards 2014, Best Artiste Europe at the Africa Gospel Awards 2011, Best Female Act and Best Gospel Act at the Ghana Music Awards Europe 2012, Best Female Vocal Performance at the Ghana Gospel Industry Awards 2012 and the Artiste of the Year at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2021. Diana has shared the stage with other top gospel artists such as Joe Mettle, among others.
Medikal
Medikal got his rap name because he was fascinated with rapping about doctors, medical practitioners, and hospitals. The Ghanaian hiplife/hip-hop artiste first started making music as early as 2008 but had a hard time funding it, however, his hard work and talent gained him a lot of fans and in 2016, he received his first award, the MTN 4Syte Music Video Award for Best Discovery Video for his hip-hop song, Anthem.
2017 was a good year for the young rapper. He had just become one of the hottest young artists and had released several songs with hot features from the likes of Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, and more including his debut album, Disturbation which had several hit songs that earned him nominations at the VGMA.
2018 saw the rise of a different version of Medikal. He expanded his music style and dropped his first fun viral song, Adwee Ba. This will be followed by other songs in that same style in 2019, Omo Ada and Kayayoo.
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Features wise, Medikal had a very busy 2019 with features on several hit songs including Kelvynboy’s Loko, Quamina MP’s Amanfuor Girls, Sista Afia’s Weather among others.
The rapper’s perseverance started to pay off as he gained national and worldwide prominence.
With seven nominations, the rapper Medikal tied Sarkodie, a powerful underground rapper, for the most nominations at the 2017 Ghana Music Awards.
In 2016, he won the Best Discovery Video for Anthem at the MTN 4Syte Music Video Awards.
He was nominated for Discovery of the Year at the Exclusive Men of the Year Awards (EMY)
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Nominate for the Best Newcomer at the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA)
Nominated for the Afro-Pop Song Of The Year
Nominated for the Hiplife/hip Pop Artiste Of The
Nominated for the Best New Act
Won the Best Hiplife/Rap Act at the Ghana Entertainment Awards USA.
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Wendy Shay
Wendy Shay continues to build an identity in the Ghanaian music industry through her consistency. She was among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Music by the 3Music Awards Women’s Brunch
The singer is known for songs like Break My Waist and Heat. The Afropop and Afrobeats singer was first introduced to music by RuffTown Records manager Ricky Nana Agyemang in 2018. Her star has been rising since then, and she has, so far, released two albums.
After the death of ebony, Bullet of rufftown records introduced Wendy Shay to the general public and disclosed that Wendy Shay is going to replace ebony on his record label to continue what he started with the late Ebony.
Wendy Shay’s first single song titled "Uber driver" was Sung with good vibes and most of popular Radio DJs couldn't stop playing the song due to the content in the song.
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Through her hard work in the year 2018, she was crowned new artist of the year at Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
And till today, she is the most popular female celebrity in Ghana with more awards both locally and international.
Despite her being a successful musician. There has been a lot of criticism from some of her fans. Some of her Attackers claim that Wendy has been trying to copy ‘Ebony’ and in no way she can replace her. Many Say that Wendy can’t be compared to a late diva.
Since 2019, wendy has won 3 top awards and has usually been in the Top 10 most radio-active artists list
Despite still being young in Ghanaian music, she has won several and received many nominations for her Brilliance performance in music including;
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Ghana Naija Showbiz Awards ( Best New Artist of the year) – 2018
Eastern Music Awards (Music of the year) For Uber Driver – 2018
Ghana Music Award SA (New Artist Of The Year) – 2018
Ghana Music Awards UK ( New Artist of the year) – 2019
Three 3 Music Awards (Breakthrough Act of the year) -2019
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Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Discovery of the year) 2019
King Promise
King Promise is a highlife music artist in Ghana and has won the hearts of many Ghanaians with his soulful music. Some of his hit songs include Sisa, Bra featured Kojo Antwi, and CCTV; his very first hit song which earned him a collaboration with King Sark himself and Mugeez of the R2bees group. He also managed to get the video of his hit song ‘Abena’ shot in Europe
King Promise is a highlife music artist in Ghana and has won the hearts of many Ghanaians with his soulful music. Some of his hit songs include Sisa, Bra featured Kojo Antwi, and CCTV; his very first hit song which earned him a collaboration with King Sark himself and Mugeez of the R2bees group. He also managed to get the video of his hit song ‘Abena’ shot in Europe
As of February 2020, Seven (7) of King Promise's singles have reached a significant
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milestone of over 1 million views on Youtube: Oh Yeah (May 2017) - 3.0 million views, Selish (December 2017) - 3.4 million views, CCTV (May 2018) - 8.0 million views, Abena (August 2018) - 5.2 million views,
Tokyo (December 2018) - 6.8 million views.Bra (June 2019) - 2.1 million views and Commando (July 2019) - 1.6 million views.
King Promise has his own name brand event “PROMISE LAND” which is held every December since 2018. The sold out event has always been a major success.
In 2021, his album “As Promised” Hit Over 100 Million Streams on all music platforms.
The album which was released on the 5th of July 2020 was one of the most streamed and enjoyed albums on the music market.
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Some of the top-tier musicians featured on the album include Omar Sterling, the legendary Kojo Antwi, Raye, Mugeez, Simi, Wizkid, and Sarkodie.
Kofi Kinaata
A showstopper, a rapper, and seldom called a legend, Musician Kofi Kinaata is an artist whose inspiring works have impacted lives across Ghana and beyond.
Known as one of those artists who has successfully carved a niche for themselves in the industry, Kinaata makes it clear there’s something extra special about his approach to music as we’ve all come to realize. He is one of the multi-talented male rappers taking the Ghana music industry to a whole new level.
While the name Kofi Kinaata has become a household name in the country, his fans have only a certain perceived image of the artist
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Kofi Kinaata is popularly known for his Fanti rap and freestyle and is therefore known as the Fanti rap god. Kofi pulls a tremendous fan base and followers in Takoradi and across Ghana as anyone who hears his songs and raps falls in love with his lines which are always clear and straight to the point.
The artist has successfully carved a niche for himself in the rap business, by developing a unique approach to the art. Since he chooses his words, punch lines, and rhyme scheme carefully, Kinaata also makes his words clear enough for easy decoding by his listeners. This uniqueness can be seen in some of his songs like; Susuka, Confession, Onyi Chorus, and many others.
In the last 10 years, Kofi Kinaata has won 44 awards. He has won ‘Songwriter of the year’ four times at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, making him the only artist to have won it more than 3 times.
The annual ‘Made in Taadi Concert’ is one of the biggest musical concerts in the Western and Central Regions of Ghana headlined by the rap legend. The concert attracts fans of Kofi Kinaata and people from all classes in society. Fans travel far and near for this concert.
The show has been witnessed by fellow artists such as; Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Pappy Kojo, Joey B, Kwaw Kese, Medikal, Kidi, Edem, etc.
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In 2019, it was listed as one of the top 100 events in Ghana by the Ghana Event Awards.
Celebrating his 10 years in the industry is worth celebrating because he has brought a lot of smiles to the faces of people.
In the last 10 years, Kofi Kinaata has won 44 awards. He has won ‘Songwriter of the year’ four times at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, making him the only artist to have won it more than 3 times.
The list is based on the relevance and how these musicians have influenced other sectors sectors of the industry. Award winnings and nominations over the last 10years as they release hit songs and albums.
Bet to differ, let's know your list..
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