Reggae/Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy has called on Charterhouse, the organisers of TGMA, to announce the winner of the 2019 Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year.
The announcement was halted and eventually cancelled after a fight broke out between himself and Shatta Wale, leading to their suspension from the award scheme for a year.
Stonebwoy believes he won the award that night and, if confirmed, he would become the only artiste in history to win it three times.
“I have been very hardworking throughout the years. Ever since I won the Ghana Music Artiste of the Year in 2015, I won it again in 2019 but we all saw what happened.
“So I just want to plead with Charterhouse, as honourable as they are to make that they announce the winner, which I am confident that it was Stonebwoy for 2019, and then this in 2024,” the ‘Into the Future’ hitmaker said.
Stonebwoy delivered this plea during his speech after winning the Artiste of the Year at the 2024 Telecel Ghana Music Awards.
He beat stiff competition from five others namely; Black Sherif, King Promise, Kuami Eugene, Nacee and Sarkodie to win the award.
In addition to Artiste of the Year, Stonebwoy won five other awards: Best International Collaboration, Best Reggae/Dancehall Artist, Songwriter of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Dancehall Artiste.
This is Stonebwoy’s second TGMA Artiste of the Year award, his first being in 2015. He is the third artiste in history, besides rapper Sarkodie and the group VIP, to achieve this milestone.
Background
Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were banned indefinitely from participating in the VGMAs after an altercation between them marred the 2019 edition.
The ‘Activate’ hitmaker was on stage accepting the Reggae/Dancehall artiste award for the fifth time in a row when Shatta Wale attempted to move to the stage.
His reason for going was unknown especially since he moved with some members of the Shatta Movement. He had also been having beefs with Stonebwoy thus his action left people stunned.
A brawl later ensued and Stonebwoy brandished a gun. Shatta Wale later said that he was going to congratulate Stonebwoy on stage when he won the Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year Award.
Meanwhile, following the brawl, the former rivals were also stripped of the awards they won on the night and asked to return the plaques they had been given.
In 2021, the board internally agreed to lift its ban on Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy ahead of the 2021 edition of the show.
However, the two did not submit any work that year. In 2022 Stonebwoy did submit his work and won the Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the Year.
In 2023, Stonebwoy won Afropop Song of the Year and Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year awards.
