Ghanaian musician Black Sherif has publicly thrown his weight behind fellow nominee Wendy Shay to win the Artiste of the Year award at the 2026 Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), saying he is uncomfortable with how her name has been left out of the conversations surrounding the category’s biggest prize.
Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Black Sherif said Wendy Shay’s output over the year under review has been strong enough to make her a legitimate winner, and he expressed frustration that public discourse had not reflected that reality.
“I would say I don’t like how people are not mentioning Wendy Shay’s name for the Artiste of the Year category. If I am taking everything as real as it is and seeing things for what it is, I will say I don’t like how they are not mentioning Wendy Shay for artiste of the year because I feel she is eligible for artiste of the year this year. We should empower women,” he said.
The Artiste of the Year category at the 2026 TGMA features six nominees: Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Medikal, Wendy Shay, Sarkodie, and Diana Hamilton. Black Sherif is himself among the contenders, making his endorsement of a rival one of the more striking moments in the lead-up to the ceremony.
Wendy Shay secured seven nominations at the 2026 TGMA, including Artiste of the Year and Album of the Year, after a year in which she transitioned to operating as an independent artiste and released her album “Ready,” while also winning Best Female Artiste in West Africa at the 9th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), defeating continental names including Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr.
The main TGMA ceremony is expected to be held on May 9, 2026, in Accra.
