AratheJay’s management seeks clarification from TGMA board over nomination omissions

The management team of Ghanaian artist AratheJay has formally petitioned the Board and Academy of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards, requesting clarification over the exclusion of three of the artist’s submissions from the 27th edition nominations.

In a letter addressed to Charterhouse Ghana, organizers of the awards scheme, the team highlighted what it describes as inconsistencies between the scheme’s published criteria and the omission of key works from AratheJay’s debut album, The Odyssey. The nominations list for the 27th edition was officially unveiled on March 14, 2026.

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According to the petition, three submissions were notably excluded despite being duly entered: The Odyssey from the Album/EP of the Year category, “Put Am on God” from Best Rap Performance, and “Cover Me” from Best Male Vocal Performance. The management maintains that all entries met the eligibility requirements and were supported by strong performance metrics across major streaming platforms.

The Odyssey, released in 2025, reportedly achieved significant commercial success, consistently ranking in the Top 5 on Apple Music Ghana and earning a place among Spotify Ghana’s Top 10 most streamed albums for the year. The team argues that these publicly verifiable metrics align with the TGMA’s stated benchmarks for excellence and impact.

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Despite the concerns, AratheJay did receive three nominations at this year’s awards: Best Music Video for “Put Am on God,” Best Reggae/Dancehall Song for “Talisman” featuring Stonebwoy, and Best Hiplife Song as a featured artist on “Tontonte” by Ko-Jo Cue.

In its statement, the management emphasised that the request is not driven by entitlement but by a desire for transparency within the industry. “We are simply asking the Board to explain how both sets of information were reconciled in arriving at the nominations list,” the statement noted, adding that clarity in the process would benefit the broader music ecosystem.

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The team concluded by reaffirming its respect for the awards scheme while urging the TGMA Board to provide a formal response addressing the discrepancies raised.