Obofour Raphael Joins Recording Academy’s Class of 2026

Ghanaian hiplife and jazz artist, songwriter and producer Obofour Raphael (born Raphael Dickson) has been officially welcomed into the Recording Academy’s Class of 2026, becoming a voting member of the institution behind the GRAMMY Awards.

He joins more than 4,000 music professionals invited this cycle — the Academy’s largest intake yet — entering a global community whose votes help determine GRAMMY nominees and winners each year. Membership is strictly by invitation and reserved for creators with a proven track record and active industry presence.

The honour caps a prolific period for the Ruffy Records founder. In October 2025, he released his album Adom Akyedee to international audiences, followed in March 2026 by the single Awula, issued a day before Ghana’s Independence Day as a tribute to Highlife — the genre that marked its 100-year milestone in 2025 and was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“Being welcomed into the Recording Academy is a humbling honour,” Obofour Raphael said. “After more than two decades rooted in hiplife, highlife and Afrobeats, I'm proud to carry Ghanaian music to this global stage.”

As a new voting member, he will participate in the selection process for the 69th GRAMMY Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles.