Charter House has released the categories that will be awarded at this year’s Ghana Music Awards. In all, there are twenty-six categories in all and they have been well defined below. And this year, the topmost award is the Artiste of the Year.

1.    Artiste of the Year

The most popular Artiste of the year is adjudged by the Selection Committee, Planning Committee and the general public as the Artistes whose work exerted the most impact on the music scene. He/She must have released songs on an Album that achieved prominence and must have commanded a great deal of popularity and audience appeal during the year under review.

2.    Song of the Year

A song is eligible to win the most popular Song of the Year if it was released and achieved prominence during the year under review. It is the song adjudged by the Selection Committee, Planning Committee and the general public to have commanded a great deal of audience appeal and must have enjoyed a lot of airplay both off and on radio. The Song of the Year must have generated the most excitement during the year under review.

3.    Album of the Year

An Album is eligible to win the most popular Album of the Year if it was released and achieved prominence in the year under review. This Award is adjudged by the Selection Committee and Planning Committee as the Album with the most hit songs (at least 3 songs in the Album must have enjoyed lots of airplay both off and on radio).

4.    Record of the Year

A Record is eligible to win the Record of the Year Award if it was released and achieved prominence during the year under review. It is the Record adjudged by the Planning Committee as the most outstanding compilation of original songs on an album. It may not have been a huge commercial success, but has quality artistic value.

5.    Hiplife Artiste of the Year

The Hiplife Artiste of the Year is the Hiplife Artiste adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the Hiplife Artiste with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the year 2007. He/She must have released a hiplife single or album during the year.

6.    Hiplife Song of the Year

The hiplife Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the most popular hiplife song by a Solo Artiste, duo or group in 2007. The song must have enjoyed a lot of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year.

7.    Hiplife Album of the Year

The Hiplife Album of the Year is the Hiplife Album adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee as the Album with most hiplife hits in a single cassette or CD release in 2007(at least 3 songs). The songs must have enjoyed lots of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year 2007.



8.    Highlife Artiste of the Year

The Highlife Artiste of the Year is the Highlife Artiste adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the highlife Artiste with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the year 2007.  He/She must have released a Highlife single or album during the year

9.    Highlife Song of the Year

The highlife Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the most popular highlife song by a Solo Artiste, duo or group in 2007. The song must have enjoyed a lot of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year.

10.    Highlife Album of the Year

The Highlife Album of the Year is the Highlife Album adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee as the Album with most highlife hits in a single cassette or CD release in 2007(at least 3 songs). The songs must have enjoyed lots of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year 2007.

11.    Gospel Artiste of the Year

The Gospel Artiste of the Year is the Gospel Artiste adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the Gospel Artiste with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the year 2007. He/She must have released a Gospel single or album during the year.

12.    Gospel Song of the year

The Gospel Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the most popular Gospel song by a Solo Artiste, duo or group in 2007. The song must have enjoyed a lot of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year.

13.    Gospel Album of the Year

The Gospel Album of the Year is the Gospel Album adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee as the Album with most Gospel hits in a single cassette or CD release in 2007(at least 3 songs). The songs must have enjoyed lots of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year 2007.

14.    Pop Song of the Year

The Pop Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Selection Committee, Planning Committee and the general public as the song, which employs a variety of genre of music including R&B, hip hop and Jazz among others. The song must have enjoyed a lot of airplay both off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year.

15.    Reggae Song of the Year

The Reggae Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the most popular Reggae song by a Solo Artiste, duo or group in 2007. The song must have enjoyed a lot of airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year.



16.    African Artiste of the Year

The African Artiste of the Year Award is for the African Artiste (non-Ghanaian) who made the most impact in the continent in 2007.  He/She must have enjoyed a lot of airplay on the continental platform.

17.   Best Collaboration of the year

The Best Collaboration of the year is the song adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the song produced through the collaboration of two or more artistes. The song must have enjoyed airplay off and on radio and generated the most excitement during the year under review.

18.   Discovery of the Year

The Discovery of the Year is the artiste adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee and the general public as the most promising and talented new artiste duo or group for the year 2007. The award goes to the artiste who made most impact with his/her first cassette or CD release.

19.    Best Male Vocal Performance (Solo/Group)

The Best Male vocal performance award goes to the male artiste, either a solo artiste or in a group, adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee as the male artiste with the best vocal delivery on any musical presentation in the year 2007.

20.   Best Female vocal performance (Solo/Group)

The Best Female vocal performance award goes to the female artiste, either a solo artiste or in a group, adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee as the female artiste with the best vocal delivery on any musical presentation in the year 2007.

21.  Traditional Artiste(s) of the Year

An Artiste is eligible to win the most popular Traditional Artiste of the Year if He/She achieved prominence in the year under review. The Traditional Artiste(s) of the Year is adjudged by the Selection Committee, Planning Committee as the most popular Traditional or Folkloric group in 2007 whose work exerted the most impact on the music scene. The Traditional Artiste(s) must have commanded a great deal of audience appeal during the year 2007.



22.   Instrumentalist of the Year

An Instrumentalist is eligible to win the most popular Instrumentalist of the Year if He/She performed creditably on hit songs that were released and achieved prominence in the year under review. The Instrumentalist of the Year is awarded to an Instrumentalist adjudged by the Selection Committee and the Planning Committee to have had the most influence on the music scene. This is an honorary award presented to the Instrumentalist in recognition of his contributions to a number of hit songs in contention.

23.    Best Music Video Directing of the Year

The winner of the “Music Video Directing of Year” is the Music Video Director adjudged by the selection committee, planning committee as the Director directly responsible (technically) for the most creative and entertaining music video for any song released in the year 2007.



24.    Best Lyricist of the Year

A Lyricist is eligible to win the Best Lyricist of the Year if the individual is responsible for writing the lyrics (partially or wholly) of the highest number of hit songs in contention and which were released and achieved prominence during the year under review.

25.    Record Label of the Year

A Record Label is eligible to win the Record Label of the Year Award if it produced the highest number of award-winning artistes in the year under review.



26.    Recording Engineer of the Year

A Record Engineer is eligible to win the Recording Engineer of the Year if the individual is directly responsible (technically) for the production of the highest number of award-winning songs in the year under review.