The 2023 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year is rap sensation Black Sherif.

He beat stiff competition from seven others namely Piesie Esther, Sarkodie, Joe Mettle, Stonebwoy, Camidoh, KiDi and King Promise to win the award.

This is the ‘Kwaku The Traveller’ hitmaker’s first VGMA Artiste of the Year win.

@theculturejoint 🔥Sending love to my Rastas indeed. It paid off. Ghana’s Artiste if the Year is Black Sherif ❤️🇬🇭🏆 #VGMA ♬ original sound – theculturejoint

Black Sherif also took home awards for the Best Music Video Award, Most Popular Song of the Year and Best Hip-hop Song of the Year with Kwaku The Traveller.

An excited Black Sherif, following his win, walked to the stage singing Sad Boys Don’t Fold – the song he opened his performance with. 

He thanked everyone that supported him throughout his career stating “I dedicate this award to my mother, father and to Konongo Zongo.”

He later sang the lyrics to Sad Boys Don’t Fold as a goodbye – “sending love to my rastas…We’ll be great ‘nti moda a monda’ (if you sleep, sleep well).

Black Sherif assured his fans to expect his new work in June.

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One of the big contenders of the night Piesie Esther walked home with two awards namely Best Gospel Song with Waye Me Yie and the Best Gospel Artiste of the Year.

Stonebwoy also won the Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year Award and Best Afropop Song of the Year. 

Meanwhile, King Promise, to many fans’ delight, won the Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste of the Year and Album of the Year Awards.

Sarkodie took home the Best Collaboration and Best Hiplife Artiste awards.