Shatta Wale battles Ebony, Sarkodie, Joe Mettle, Stonebwoy for ‘Artiste of the Year’

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After a four-year absence from the Ghana Music Awards, dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, is back into the scheme.
Shatta Wale, after winning the ‘Artiste of the Year’ at the 2014 edition of awards was blacklisted by the organisers, Charterhouse, over series of verbal attacks he launched on the scheme and its Board.
The dancehall act had also attacked the events company and its CEO, Mr Iyiola Ayoade. In October 2014, the awards organisers sued the dancehall act GHS10 million for defamation.
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While that defamation case is still in court, Nii Ayitey Hammond, who speaks for the VGMA Board, explained to Myjoyonline.com that they decided to accept Shatta Wale back into the scheme after he had fulfilled certain requirements.
According to him, the dancehall act had, on several platforms, apologised for denigrating the awards and the Board felt satisfied with the apologies and agreed to nominate him.
Charterhouse on Saturday night at the Movënpick Ambassador Hotel included Shatta Wale when it released the list of nominees for this year’s awards.
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Shatta Wale will face off with his Zylofon Media label mate, Stonebwoy, late Ebony, rapper Sarkodie, and winner of Artiste of the Year at the 2017 edition, Joe Mettle for the topmost award.
This year, the Music Awards festival will witness a nominees’ jam in Cape Coast on March 24 and a music seminar at the Movënpick Ambassador Hotel on April 12.
The awards night will be on April 14 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), followed by a celebration jam on April 28 in Tema.