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20.06.2011 General News

Nominees For Ghana Gospel Industry Awards Out

By Daily Guide
Ceccy Twum and Lizzy OkrahCeccy Twum and Lizzy Okrah
20.06.2011 LISTEN

Adom 106.3FM is gradually positioning itself as the best in entertainment management.

The latest event to come from the stables of the Tema-based business unit after Adom Praiz, Kwahu Easter Festival and Temafest, is the Ghana Gospel Industry Awards (GGIA).

Even before the maiden edition comes off on July 9, 2011 at the National Theatre, the management of Adom FM is aiming at making GGIA the best known organization behind the gospel music industry's most prestigious honour.

According to Lawrence Tamakloe, Events and Promotions executive at Adom FM , 'the GGIA aims at encouraging excellence in the gospel music industry through a range of coveted awards'.

While the crystal plaques on offer - a symbol to be admired around the world - are aimed at acknowledging the very best level of achievement, every other form of the GGIA recognition, be it a certificate or other form of trophy, is targeted at carrying significance like none other in the gospel music industry in Ghana.

The awards academy, made up of music and entertainment experts tasked to review entries, has released the final list of nominees in 17 categories covering a whole range of gospel musical activities like songs, videos and albums.

The final nominations, published by the academy, show a potentially fierce contest between Cecilia Marfo, No Tribe, Christiana Love, Florence Obinim and Ernest Opoku.

Cecilia Marfo, who shot to fame with the popular ' Afunumu Ba' track, received seven nominations spread across the public voting and the academy voting categories. She received nominations for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year, Popular Video of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Best Gospel Song of the Year and Collaboration of the Year.

No Tribe is in strong contention for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year and Popular Video of the Year. The leader of the group, Nacy, is also the frontrunner for the Male Vocalist of the Year, Gospel Sound Engineer of the Year and Song Writer of the Year awards.

Christiana Love also has four nominations; Album of the Year for No Fears, Artiste of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Best Video.

Florence Obinim and Princess Ifeoma are also strong contenders for the Album of the Year, Best Gospel Songwriter of the Year, and Song of the Year. The pair could also pick the Collaboration of the Year and Popular Video of the Year awards with the ' God Never Fails' track.

Ernest Opoku is also nominated for the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year categories while Ceccy Twum is in contention for the Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year, Popular Video of the Year and Collaboration of the Year for ' Waye Awie'.

The New Artiste of the Year category is a straight fight among Herty Borngreat, Nana Akosah (also nominated for the Popular Video of the Year) and Cwasi Oteng (Male Vocalist of the Year, Best Video), with the Frimpong Brothers as the outsiders.

The categories which will probably be controversial and much talked about are the Alternative Gospel Song of the Year and the Alternative Gospel Video of the Year.

The Alternative Gospel Song of the Year is defined as a unique song by a musician who is not a mainstream gospel artiste, while the Alternative Gospel Video is defined as a unique gospel video by a musician who is not a mainstream gospel artiste.

Nominees for the Alternative Gospel Song are ' Somebody' by D Black and Kwabena Kwabena; ' My Life' by Trigmatic and ' Ma Praise' (M'aseda) by Obrafuor, while nominees for the Best Video are ' My Life' by Trigmatic and ' Somebody ' by D Black and Kwabena Kwabena.

Other nominees include Cee for Collaboration of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year; Celestine Donkor for Female Vocalist and Lizzy Okrah also for Female Vocalist.

Kwaku Gyasi and Lord Osei Bondzi of No Tribe will also try to beat frontrunners Nacy and Ernest Opoku in the Male Vocalist category.

George Forrest, Daddy Ro Ro and Dan Bassey are also nominated for Gospel Sound Engineer and Gospel Producer of the Year. Nick Baeta and Shadrach Yawson are also in the Producer of the Year category.

Choral Group of the Year nominees are Winneba Youth Choir, Tema Inspirational Choir, Harbour City Mass Choir and the Accra Philharmonic Choir.

Record Label of the Year nominees are Frimprince Productions, Cebex Productions and Pat Thomas Productions.

Nominees for the Best Gospel Songwriter are Pastor Yaw Boamah for 'Afunumu Ba'; Pastor Love Hammond for 'Kramanfunu Ba', Gifty Osei and Kwasi for 'W'afra Me Ntoma' and Uncle Ato for 'Aseda'.

The GGIA will also honour outstanding personalities that have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the gospel industry with the Honorary Award of the Year.

The academy's vote will constitute 60% of the total vote while the remaining 40% will be determined by the general public vote (via txt).

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