“So Ghanaian artistes do not win Grammy?” read a tweet from an X user on the night of the 2025 Grammy nominations announcement seemingly to mock Ghana’s music industry.
While this is factually correct, it is a hasty generalization to suggest that Ghanaian artistes cannot win the Grammy Awards. Nonetheless, Ghanaians are losing hope, sadly.
The Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys, announced the nominees for the 2025 awards.
Some years ago, Ghanaians would look forward to Grammy nominations, but primarily to see which of their favorite Western artistes were recognized; few expected that contemporary African music had any chance.
That perspective changed after 2021, when Burna Boy won the Best Global Album award, and Wizkid received a nomination for Best Global Music Performance in the same year.
The excitement was through the roof; who would have thought that young Africans could also be Grammy winners?
The excitement grew further in 2024, when the Recording Academy introduced the Best African Music Performance category.
Anticipation radiated from every corner as fans waited to see who would be the first nominees in that category. Some of the genres included were Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro-pop, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Highlife, and Ghanaian drill, all of which raised Ghana’s hopes. Anticipation indeed radiated.
When the 2024 nominees were announced, however, Ghana fell short of expectations. Our neighbors (Nigeria) made the list, firmly establishing their place within the Recording Academy, while Ghanaians were left disappointed and subjected to inevitable trolling.
Now, with the 2025 Grammy nominations, only one Ghanaian artiste, Rocky Dawuni, has been nominated as a main act, bringing his total Grammy nominations to four.
Although this is worth celebrating, Ghanaians are yearning for the day when at least one major contemporary artiste, like Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, or Shatta Wale, receives Grammy recognition. Will that day ever come?
Will That Moment Come?
The Grammy nomination process begins with Recording Academy members and record companies submitting entries for recordings and music videos released during the eligibility year.
Over 350 industry experts then screen these entries to ensure they meet eligibility criteria and are placed in the correct categories.
Afterward, voting members participate in the nominating process, selecting five finalists in each category based on their expertise. Special committees also determine nominations for craft categories.
Once the nominees are announced, final voting takes place, and ballots are tallied by an independent firm. Winners receive the Grammy statuette, while all nominees receive a medallion and certificate.
Considering the process, one might wonder why Ghanaians are still struggling for nominations.
What exactly is hindering Ghana’s chances? Our music? Our economy? Bad roads? What exactly is Ghana’s problem?
Ironically, the CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr. visited Ghana in December 2023, where he explained how artistes could secure nominations.
He even served as the creative director for Stonebwoy’s 5th Dimension album, which was submitted for nomination in 2024, but ultimately did not make the cut. If even the CEO could not influence our chances, what can?
Why No?
To earn a Grammy nomination, a professional or voting member of the Recording Academy must submit an entry through the Academy’s online portal. Professional members do not get a vote; only voting members do.
To be a voter in the Recording Academy, you must be a creator in the music industry—someone who is involved in some aspect of the creative process, such as writing, performing, or producing.
A Ghanaian industry professional, like Richie Mensah, would qualify as a voter in the Recording Academy and would be eligible to vote on submissions.
Could it be that Ghana lacks enough voting representatives? This could be a valid explanation, but the need for a solution remains.
What are we not doing correctly? For instance, how many of our artistes release their songs in the United States? How many are signed to record labels that facilitate international promotion?
Before we place blame on the artistes, we should examine the entire music industry. If things continue as they are, Ghana may never bring a Grammy plaque home.
Why Yes?
There is still hope. Ghana’s Grammy dreams could become reality if artistes are encouraged to take networking seriously.
It is not enough to simply take photos with key individuals; artistes need to consistently and actively promote their work to these influential figures.
In terms of artistry, there is no doubt—Ghana’s music is thriving. Our music has gained considerable international appeal, with our artistes selling out venues in unlikely locations. For instance, King Promise recently completed an Asian tour, becoming the first Afrobeat artiste to perform in Singapore.
The music industry needs to take time to observe, learn, explore, and develop strategies that will reduce the wait time for Grammy recognition. Let us, for the first time, leave the artistes out of the blame; they are doing their part.
Our producers are equally on fire. It is the system that is failing us; the industry itself is failing us.
Moving Forward
The floodgates have opened, and we must be prepared to withstand the storm. This article is intended to emphasize the reality that the success of the music industry is about more than just the music itself.
Ghana must adopt an intentional approach to every aspect of the industry, from promotion and networking to production and strategy, in order to achieve global recognition.
This article also cannot ignore the issue of limited resources, particularly funding. Successive governments have shown they are unable to make significant investments in the music industry.
While initiatives like “December in Ghana” are promising, our music deserves year-round support.
This is also a call to private investors: Ghanaian music is at a global standard—let us release the funds and help Ghana’s music industry become a world champion.
