We are overfocusing on competition – Stonebwoy on why Ghanaian musicians struggle to gain global recognition

• Stonebwoy says Ghanaian musicians and the industry focus too much on competition instead of promoting their achievements.

• He believes Ghana needs to amplify positive stories about its music and talented artistes.

• Stonebwoy urged Ghanaian musicians to put in the work and learn from Nigeria’s approach to promoting international success.

Speaking on the BBC’s This Is Africa show monitored by Pulse Ghana, the award-winning musician said Ghana has a rich musical culture and talented artistes capable of making a significant impact globally, but the country needs to do more to promote its successes.

“Ghana has such beautiful music,” Stonebwoy said, stressing the importance of actively exporting and promoting Ghanaian music to international audiences.

He argued that positive achievements by Ghanaian musicians often receive less attention than negative developments, creating an imbalance in how the country’s creative industry is presented.

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“We need to work a positive news 10 times than work a negative news. It flies. People create something anyway,” he said.

According to Stonebwoy, this imbalance has contributed to a negative perception of Ghana’s music industry despite the country’s long-standing influence on African culture and music.

“So I think that energy has actually darkened or has actually shone over the Ghanaian scene for too long,” he said.

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The musician also compared Ghana’s approach to that of Nigeria, where major international achievements by Nigerian artistes are often aggressively promoted and placed within a broader narrative of the country’s growing influence.

“When a Nigerian wins an iHeart, you and I know how that is going to gain PR immediately,” Stonebwoy said.

“It’s going to be compared to all of the people who have won iHearts and what an iHeart is and how solid it is.”

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He said the constant comparison can create the impression that Ghanaian musicians are not making enough progress, despite the country producing artists who have influenced music across Africa.

“So it is always like, are we Ghanaians are not moving enough. Meanwhile, we have some beautiful talents,” he said.

Stonebwoy also pointed to Ghana’s broader historical influence on the continent, referencing the country’s independence and the ideas associated with Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.

He argued that Ghana has often been a source of inspiration for developments across Africa but has sometimes failed to adequately project its own achievements.

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“We’ve always probably allowed too much over focusing on the competition and overfocusing on the other stuff that is supposed to be in the minority,” he said.

Stonebwoy's comments as he prepares to headline the BHIM Festival on 15 August 2026, marking his first headline show at OVO Arena Wembley and a major milestone for Ghanaian music.