A throwback photo of Michael Owusu Addo, popularly known as Sarkodie
Despite the dozens of categories featured in the Ghana Music Awards over its 26 years of existence, it is without a doubt that the most coveted is the ‘Artiste of the Year’.
While some artistes boast of having 5 to 6 ‘Artiste of the Year’ plaques on their mantles, others are still chasing the title despite winning several other categories.
But for one artiste, a rare occurrence happened: he won the exclusive title in his very first appearance at the awards show, in 2010.
Here’s the story of how one rapper from Tema came, saw, and conquered.
In 2009, Edem, one of the biggest names in rap/hiplife, released one of the most iconic songs in the country: ‘You Dey Craze.’
The song, with its recognisable tune, featured Kwaw Kese and Ruth, but at the 3:25 minute mark, a skinny young man in black sunglasses, an unbuttoned formal shirt, and a green T-shirt delivered his verse and started making history.
His speed, flow, and eloquence captivated listeners across Ghana, but that wasn’t all.
That young rapper went on to release his debut album, ‘Makye’, which produced several hit songs in the late 2000s.
The album earned him eight nominations at the 2010 edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
The awards scheme featured a category called Discovery of the Year, which recognizes artistes who made a significant impact in their career for the first time over the year in review.
That rapper received a nomination in that category, but also a nomination for the prestigious Artiste of the Year.
As if that wasn’t enough, he ended up winning both the Discovery of the Year and Artiste of the Year awards in his first appearance at the Ghana Music Awards—a feat that has yet to be replicated by any artiste.
He also went on to win three more awards that year, including Hiplife/Hiphop Artiste of the Year, Best Rapper of the Year, and Album of the Year.
His name: Michael Owusu Addo. His stage name: Sarkodie.
Since then, Sarkodie has been a household name, releasing hit song after hit song and performing on numerous stages around the world.
Yet, no artiste has broken his record of winning Artiste of the Year in their debut appearance at the Ghana Music Awards.
ID/EB
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Meanwhile, watch some videos from the 40th birthday bash of Richard Nii-Armah Quaye below:
The man of the moment!#RNAQ40 pic.twitter.com/bb7dgOY7hh
— Dziedzorm💚 (@SSDziedzorm) March 22, 2025
