Ghana Reggae Dancehall awards to be held on Dec. 15

The second edition of the Ghana Reggae Dancehall Awards (GRDA) has officially been scheduled for Sunday, December 15, 2024.

This was announced at a stakeholder engagement session held in Accra, where key industry figures including musicians, DJs and media persons gathered to discuss the genre's future.

This year's GRDA will honour the contributions of various players, including musicians, producers, DJs, MCs, selectors, live bands and performance artistes who have worked tirelessly to promote Reggae and Dancehall in Ghana.

The awards will honour exceptional work in song and album categories, including Best Reggae Song, Best Dancehall Song, Best Reggae Album/EP, and Best Dancehall Album/EP. Additionally, awards will be given for Best Reggae Video and Best Dancehall Video.

Other categories are   Best Collaboration (Reggae/Dancehall) and Best International Collaboration, as well as behind-the-scenes talent with Best Producer, Best Selector, and Best Performer, Best Male Artiste (Reggae/Dancehall), Best Female Artiste (Reggae/Dancehall), Best Songwriter, Best New Artiste (Reggae/Dancehall), and Best International Artiste.

Special recognition awards including Most Promising Artiste, Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Sound System Ghana will also be presented.

Speaking at the stakeholder engagement,  a Board Member of GRDA, Daddy Bosco stressed the importance of properly recognising and celebrating Reggae and Dancehall, which has been an integral part of Ghana's music scene yet often overlooked.

“The Ghana Reggae Dancehall Awards aims at fillingl a significant gap in the Ghanaian music industry. The introduction of an awards festival dedicated solely to Reggae and Dancehall in Ghana is long overdue,” he stated.

He emphasised that Ghana holds a crucial position within Africa's Reggae Dancehall community, contributing significantly to the genre's evolution.

He shared that while Highlife remains iconic, Reggae and Dancehall have grown to become dominant genres across the country and continent, even influencing gospel music.

However, despite this long-standing presence, the genre has not always received the respect and acknowledgment it deserves.

“However, it has shown strength by selling out international concerts featuring renowned Jamaican Reggae Dancehall artistes alongside their Ghanaian counterparts. We need to do better as a country," he added.

One of the unique features of the GRDA is its voting process. Unlike other award schemes that mostly rely on public voting, GRDA's winners are chosen solely by the academy and board members.

 According to Daddy Bosco, this method is designed to ensure fairness and transparency by eliminating the possibility of vote manipulation.

Nominations for the 2024 GRDA officially opened on October 10 and expected to close on November 10, with a Nominees Jam scheduled for December 13.