Since its inception by Black Entertainment Television, the BET Awards have been a major platform through which works by African American and international artists, particularly from the African continent, were appreciated and valued. ARTISTS FROM GHANA have been making waves for the country at the BET Awards through the years. This blog post is all about those Ghanaian artists who have won BET Awards in their various music and culture contributions.
1. Sarkodie: First Ever BET Award Winner from Ghana
Michael Owusu Addo, better known by the stage name Sarkodie, is among the most renowned musicians within Ghana and was globally touted as being among the greatest rappers ever to emerge out of the continent of Africa. He became the first Ghanaian artist to have won a BET Award in 2012. This was because he won Best International Act: Africa, a category meant to recognize outstanding African artists who had contributed immensely to music.
That win for Sarkodie became a momentous one for the music fraternity in Ghana; this was the first time an artist from Ghana had ever been recognized at that level. This opened doors for other Ghanaian musicians and helped elevate the profile of the Ghanaian music brand on the international platform.
2. Stonebwoy – Reggae/Dancehall Excellence
This was a great night when Livingstone Etse Satekla, aka Stonebwoy, walked home with the 2015 BET Award for Best International Act: Africa. Definitely one of the leading artists, Stonebwoy is an incomparable talent fusing forces in reggae, dancehall, and Afrobeat to come up with a nonpareil style that easily projects him to be one of the faces of Ghanaian music. The win at the BET Awards was a testament to his act and the fact that he makes music that grooves well with people both within and outside his home country of Ghana.
Stonebwoy’s win also epitomized the increasing waves of dancehall and reggae music across the African continent, specifically in Ghana, where the two genres enjoy heavy patronage. This brought international recognition to dancehall music from Ghana onto the world map and shed light on the rich musical heritage here.
3. Sarkodie and Wizkid—a shared win in the year 2019
It was in 2019 that BET finally placed Sarkodie in a very special position: he became the first recipient of the newly created award—Best International Flow. It was specially crafted for those musicians working and making big moves in rap and hip-hop, and he carried this as proof of consistency and staying power within the music circles, and above all, being a great rapper and lyricist.
The 2019 BET Awards win of Sarkodie was quite special, especially at a time when African hip-hop had started getting more attention across the globe. In fact, his win was celebrated not only in Ghana but all over the African continent as well, as evidence of the emerging impact of African artists on global hip-hop.
4. Kwesi Arthur – A New Generation of Talent
In 2018, one of the new shining stars of the Ghanaian hip-hop world was in the running for Best International Act: Viewers’ Choice at the BET Awards. Even though he didn’t win, his nomination came big in some ways because it put a face on the new generation of Ghanaian artists on the rise within the music industry.
Kwesi Arthur, whose full name is Emmanuel Kwesi Danso Arthur Junior, is an artist pretty unique in style and fuses hip-hop with Afrobeat and highlife. For such talent, therefore, the BET Awards were a pointer to his potential and equality, prior to his music being introduced to the international scene.
The BET Awards Implication for Ghana Music
The very fact that the BET Awards mentioned Ghanaian artists means a lot in very many ways. First and foremost, it puts into evidence the surging tides of Ghanaian music onto the world’s platform. The victories for Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, and Kwesi Arthur were proof that Ghanaian music is not only felt in Africa but reverberates globally as well.
Secondly, these awards provide a platform for Ghanaian artists to showcase their talents and share their unique sounds with a global audience. The exposure gained from being associated with the BET Awards can open doors for further opportunities, including collaborations with international artists, performances at global music festivals, and increased streaming and sales of their music.
Such success of Ghanaian artists at the BET Awards provides a shining example to new musicians in this country. This simply means that through hard work and talent, with added dedication, one is able to get recognized at the international level. It gives pride in the music from Ghana and culture, thereby encouraging more artists to keep challenging the creativity limits.
Conclusion
The successes by Ghanaian artists on the BET Awards show that there is great talent in music, whether it is the breakthrough win of Sarkodie in 2012, Stonebwoy through reggae and dancehall, and Kwesi Arthur representing the new wave of artists out of the country—these artists have shown they are here to stay.
Now, in a world of global music, Ghanaian artists are stepping onto the scene by becoming BET Award winners, and this trend is expected to raise Ghana further up the stairs of relevance in the world of music. The odds of Ghanaian artists at the BET Awards are one of the kind in proving the might of music to transgress borders and join people in one spirit through the celebrations of rich cultural heritage from Ghana across the globe.
Since its inception by Black Entertainment Television, the BET Awards have been a major platform through which works by African American and international artists, particularly from the African continent, were appreciated and valued. ARTISTS FROM GHANA have been making waves for the country at the BET Awards through the years. This blog post is all about those Ghanaian artists who have won BET Awards in their various music and culture contributions.
1. Sarkodie: First Ever BET Award Winner from Ghana
Michael Owusu Addo, better known by the stage name Sarkodie, is among the most renowned musicians within Ghana and was globally touted as being among the greatest rappers ever to emerge out of the continent of Africa. He became the first Ghanaian artist to have won a BET Award in 2012. This was because he won Best International Act: Africa, a category meant to recognize outstanding African artists who had contributed immensely to music.
That win for Sarkodie became a momentous one for the music fraternity in Ghana; this was the first time an artist from Ghana had ever been recognized at that level. This opened doors for other Ghanaian musicians and helped elevate the profile of the Ghanaian music brand on the international platform.
2. Stonebwoy – Reggae/Dancehall Excellence
This was a great night when Livingstone Etse Satekla, aka Stonebwoy, walked home with the 2015 BET Award for Best International Act: Africa. Definitely one of the leading artists, Stonebwoy is an incomparable talent fusing forces in reggae, dancehall, and Afrobeat to come up with a nonpareil style that easily projects him to be one of the faces of Ghanaian music. The win at the BET Awards was a testament to his act and the fact that he makes music that grooves well with people both within and outside his home country of Ghana.
Stonebwoy’s win also epitomized the increasing waves of dancehall and reggae music across the African continent, specifically in Ghana, where the two genres enjoy heavy patronage. This brought international recognition to dancehall music from Ghana onto the world map and shed light on the rich musical heritage here.
3. Sarkodie and Wizkid—a shared win in the year 2019
It was in 2019 that BET finally placed Sarkodie in a very special position: he became the first recipient of the newly created award—Best International Flow. It was specially crafted for those musicians working and making big moves in rap and hip-hop, and he carried this as proof of consistency and staying power within the music circles, and above all, being a great rapper and lyricist.
The 2019 BET Awards win of Sarkodie was quite special, especially at a time when African hip-hop had started getting more attention across the globe. In fact, his win was celebrated not only in Ghana but all over the African continent as well, as evidence of the emerging impact of African artists on global hip-hop.
4. Kwesi Arthur – A New Generation of Talent
In 2018, one of the new shining stars of the Ghanaian hip-hop world was in the running for Best International Act: Viewers’ Choice at the BET Awards. Even though he didn’t win, his nomination came big in some ways because it put a face on the new generation of Ghanaian artists on the rise within the music industry.
Kwesi Arthur, whose full name is Emmanuel Kwesi Danso Arthur Junior, is an artist pretty unique in style and fuses hip-hop with Afrobeat and highlife. For such talent, therefore, the BET Awards were a pointer to his potential and equality, prior to his music being introduced to the international scene.
The BET Awards Implication for Ghana Music
The very fact that the BET Awards mentioned Ghanaian artists means a lot in very many ways. First and foremost, it puts into evidence the surging tides of Ghanaian music onto the world’s platform. The victories for Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, and Kwesi Arthur were proof that Ghanaian music is not only felt in Africa but reverberates globally as well.
Secondly, these awards provide a platform for Ghanaian artists to showcase their talents and share their unique sounds with a global audience. The exposure gained from being associated with the BET Awards can open doors for further opportunities, including collaborations with international artists, performances at global music festivals, and increased streaming and sales of their music.
Such success of Ghanaian artists at the BET Awards provides a shining example to new musicians in this country. This simply means that through hard work and talent, with added dedication, one is able to get recognized at the international level. It gives pride in the music from Ghana and culture, thereby encouraging more artists to keep challenging the creativity limits.
Conclusion
The successes by Ghanaian artists on the BET Awards show that there is great talent in music, whether it is the breakthrough win of Sarkodie in 2012, Stonebwoy through reggae and dancehall, and Kwesi Arthur representing the new wave of artists out of the country—these artists have shown they are here to stay.
Now, in a world of global music, Ghanaian artists are stepping onto the scene by becoming BET Award winners, and this trend is expected to raise Ghana further up the stairs of relevance in the world of music. The odds of Ghanaian artists at the BET Awards are one of the kind in proving the might of music to transgress borders and join people in one spirit through the celebrations of rich cultural heritage from Ghana across the globe.
