#TGMA27#: Wendy Shay misses Artiste of the Year; wins one of out of seven nominations
Wendy Shay may have entered this year’s Telecel Ghana Music Awards as one of the strongest contenders for Artiste of the Year, but her quest to become only the third female musician to win the coveted title ended in disappointment after she secured just one award on the night.
The singer, born Wendy Asiamah Addo, went into the awards with seven nominations including Artiste of the Year, Album of the Year for Ready, Most Popular Song, Best Collaboration, Best Afrobeats Song for Crazy Love and International Collaboration for Too Late.
However, out of the seven nominations, Wendy Shay managed to win only Best Afropop Song of the Year.
Her defeat in the Artiste of the Year category dashed hopes of joining the exclusive list of female musicians who have won the topmost TGMA prize, a feat achieved by only a few women in the history of the awards scheme.
Despite the setback, Wendy Shay undeniably enjoyed one of the most commercially successful years of her career during the year under review.
Her third studio album, Ready, released on October 24, 2025, became a major force in her Artiste of the Year campaign.
The album reportedly amassed over 50 million streams across streaming platforms and debuted at Number One on Afro Sounds on Audiomack while simultaneously trending on Apple Music. Early figures from Audiomack alone showed over 10.5 million streams within weeks of its release.
Songs such as Too Late featuring Benjine, Phina and Guchi as well as Crazy Love featuring OliveTheBoy dominated airwaves and digital platforms, further strengthening her case ahead of the awards.
Away from streaming success, Wendy Shay also made headlines with her Shay Concert held on November 22, 2025 at West Hills Mall in Weija, which attracted thousands of patrons.
The concert featured performances from top acts including Shatta Wale, Medikal, KiDi, Kelvyn Boy, Lasmid and others.
She also maintained a strong stage presence throughout the year with performances at Rapperholic, Shatta Fest at Independence Square, the GMB 2025 Grand Finale and Medikal’s Planning and Plotting concert.
On the international scene, Wendy Shay scored a major achievement after winning Best Female Artiste in West Africa at the 9th All Africa Music Awards held in Lagos in January this year.
The victory saw her beat continental stars such as Tiwa Savage, Ayra Starr, Moliy and Amaarae, a feat many industry players described as historic for an independent Ghanaian female artiste.
Although she fell short in the Artiste of the Year race, Wendy Shay’s impressive year and international recognition have further solidified her position as one of Ghana’s leading female music exports.
