Tema based music group, R2Bees has scooped the highest nominations for this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (GMAs). They received a total of nine nominations. The nominees and categories for this year’s GMAs, sponsored by Vodafone, were released at a colourful ceremony at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra Saturday. The duo made up of, Hakeem (Paedae da Pralem) and Rashid Mugeez (Mugeez), got nominations in the Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, Hip Life song of the Year, Hip Life/Hip Hop Song of the Year, High Life Song of the Year, Best Male Vocal Performance and Song Writer of the Year categories. They were also nominated for Best Group and Hip Hop Song of the Year. Their producer Killbeatz was nominated for Producer of the Year. All their nominations were from their hit songs Life (Walahi), Odo and Bayla which have enjoyed massive airplays across the length and breadth of the country. On the the heels of R2Bees is Nana Wiafe Asante-Mensah known on stage as Asem. Asem had seven nominations for his hit song Bye Bye and album Solid Ground. He had nominations in the Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, Hip Life Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Song Writer of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Rapper. The Bye Bye collaboration earned Kwabena Kwabena a nomination in the Best Male Vocal Performance category. Desmond Blackmore popularly known as D-Black earned six nominations in this year’s awards which organizers are yet to announce its date and venue. D-Black got nominations in the Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, Hip Hop Song of the Year, Hip Life Song of the Year, Hip Life/Hip Hop Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Last year’s biggest winner, Sarkodie had five nominations for songs he collaborated on. He got nominations in the Song of the Year, Hip Life Song of the Year and Best Rapper all for Azonto Fiesta which also features Appietus and Kese. His fourth and fifth nominations – Hip Hop Song of the Year and Highlife Song of the Year - came from Pizza & Burger (with Jay So) and Kesse’s Treat Her Royal respectively. Several artistes including 4x4, VIP and Okyeame Kwame, EL, Edem also got multiple nominations in this year’s awards. The launch was attended by some musicians including D-Black, Nicholas Omane Acheampong, Eazzy, R2Bees, Chase and Sarkodie. Chase and Nicholas Omane Acheampong aka Zaphneth Paneah performed at the launch.