Ghana Music Awards USA to take place in October

The announcement comes two months after nominees were unveiled in 27 categories in Accra. Shatta Wale, Sarkodie, Samini and Diana Hamilton all secured a nomination in the coveted Artist of the Year category. Other well-known acts nominated in various categories are Stonebwoy, Kofi Kinaata, Wendy Shay and Efya.

The organisers say the Ghana Music Awards USA were set up with the vision of "encouraging and recognising Ghanaian musicians in the diaspora, especially in the US to actively participate in promoting and celebrating Ghana music."

"It is imperative for us to appreciate and recognise the effort our musicians put in to bring us good music," Don’s Music Production CEO and executive director Dennis Boafo said at the launch in July. "For that reason, we as the Ghana Music Awards USA seek to appreciate and award the most influential and iconic musicians in our society, in Ghana and the US."

The event will unfold in two parts: the main awards night and an awards party where trophies will be presented to the respective winners. The awards party, to be held in Ghana on an unconfirmed date, will also serve as a networking opportunity for the nominees and industry players. 

Voting officially closed on 31 August and the winners in the various categories will be announced on the main awards night, which will also witness high-profile performances. 

The awards will commence at 7pm WAT with a red carpet event on the Kofi TV YouTube channel.