Category
genealogy
The official table writes these awards 268 ways. Most of that is typing — 121 of those labels differ from their category only in spelling, spacing or an "Artist" that should read "Artiste", and the category pages fold them in. This page is about the other kind of change: the 38 times an award was actually renamed, split or merged into something else.
Respelling an award leaves it the same award. Renaming it is the institution deciding something. Only the second kind is recorded here.
25
63
83
07
Two years did most of it
22 of the 38 changes fall in 2021 and 2022.
2021 carries 16 changes, almost all of them renamings of the same shape — the genre awards drop "Song of the Year" and pick up "Best". 2022 carries 6 changes, and they restructure rather than rename: awards combine and divide. Either way, the record shows change arriving in bursts rather than steadily.
Renamed
27
Relationship uncertain
7
Merged
2
Split
2
The lineages
63 categories that became, or came from, another. Ordered by how far each line travelled.
01
Best Afropop Song / Best Afrobeats Song
2009—2019
· 11 editions · 5 labels
Ended 2019
→became Afrobeat Song Of The Year
· Renamed
· 2020
The genre word on the award changes from Afro Pop to Afrobeat for a single edition.
The genre word on the award changes from Afro Pop to Afrobeat for a single edition.
held once, 2020
· 1 edition
Ended 2020
→became Best Afrobeats/ Afropop Song
· Renamed
· 2021
Held once, in 2021, as a combined Afrobeats/Afropop award.
Held once, in 2021, as a combined Afrobeats/Afropop award.
held once, 2021
· 1 edition
Ended 2021
→became Best Afropop Song
· Split
· 2022
The combined 2021 award separates in 2022; Afropop runs continuously from there.
The combined 2021 award separates in 2022; Afropop runs continuously from there.
→became Best Afrobeats
· Split
· 2022
The Afrobeats half of the 2021 award, held under this shorter name for 2022 only.
The Afrobeats half of the 2021 award, held under this shorter name for 2022 only.
2022—2026
· 5 editions
Active
held once, 2022
· 1 edition
Ended 2022
2023—2026
· 4 editions
Active
02
Audio Engineer of the Year
2000—2002
· 3 editions
Ended 2002
2003—2008
· 5 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2008
→became Sound Engineer of the Year
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2013
Both name an engineering award and their runs do not overlap, but no source states a formal continuation.
Both name an engineering award and their runs do not overlap, but no source states a formal continuation.
2013—2021
· 9 editions · 4 labels
Ended 2021
2022—2026
· 5 editions
Active
03
Telecel Most Popular Song of the Year
2000—2010
· 8 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2010
→became Vodafone Most Popular Song of the Year
· Renamed
· 2012
The sponsor name enters the award title.
The sponsor name enters the award title.
2011—2023
· 13 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2023
→became Telecel Most Popular Song of the Year
· Renamed
· 2024
Sponsor change only. Vodafone Ghana became Telecel Ghana in 2024; the award did not change.
Sponsor change only. Vodafone Ghana became Telecel Ghana in 2024; the award did not change.
2024—2026
· 3 editions
Active
04
Best New Artiste
2000—2006
· 7 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2006
2012—2020
· 8 editions · 5 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2026
· 6 editions
Active
05
Album/EP of the Year
2000—2021
· 21 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2021
held once, 2021
· 1 edition
Ended 2021
→became Album/EP of the Year
· Merged
· 2022
EP of the Year was held once, in 2021, before being folded in.
EP of the Year was held once, in 2021, before being folded in.
2022—2026
· 5 editions · 2 labels
Active
06
Best Hiplife / Hip-hop Artiste
2009—2018
· 8 editions · 6 labels
Ended 2018
→became Hiphop/Hiplife Artiste Of The Year
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2010
These differ only in which genre is written first, and their runs overlap. Our normaliser folds spelling, not word order, so they are kept apart and the question is left open.
These differ only in which genre is written first, and their runs overlap. Our normaliser folds spelling, not word order, so they are kept apart and the question is left open.
2010—2020
· 3 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2020
→became Best Hiplife / Hip-hop Artiste
· Renamed
· 2021
Same 2021 relabelling, but the two genre words also swap order: Hiphop/Hiplife becomes Hiplife/Hip-hop.
Same 2021 relabelling, but the two genre words also swap order: Hiphop/Hiplife becomes Hiplife/Hip-hop.
2021—2026
· 6 editions · 3 labels
Active
07
Female Vocalist of The Year
held once, 2016
· 1 edition
Ended 2016
held once, 2017
· 1 edition
Ended 2017
2018—2020
· 3 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2020
08
Male Vocalist of The Year
held once, 2016
· 1 edition
Ended 2016
held once, 2017
· 1 edition
Ended 2017
2018—2020
· 3 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2020
09
Best Group
2017—2020
· 3 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2020
→became Group of the Year
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2017
Both run between 2017 and 2020. Group of the Year starts earlier and ends later, which a rename cannot explain.
Both run between 2017 and 2020. Group of the Year starts earlier and ends later, which a rename cannot explain.
2012—2021
· 7 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2021
2025—2026
· 2 editions
Active
10
Best Highlife Song
2000—2020
· 20 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2026
· 6 editions
Active
11
Best Hiplife Song
2000—2020
· 20 editions · 4 labels
Ended 2020
→became Best Hiplife Song
· Renamed
· 2021
The 22nd edition put "Best" in front of most genre awards and dropped "of the Year".
The 22nd edition put "Best" in front of most genre awards and dropped "of the Year".
2021—2026
· 6 editions
Active
12
Best Gospel Song
2000—2020
· 21 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2024
· 4 editions
Ended 2024
13
Collaboration of the Year
2003—2020
· 16 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2020
→became Collaboration of the Year
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2019
Both are awarded in 2019 and 2020, so this is not a clean succession. The record does not say whether it is one award written two ways or two awards.
Both are awarded in 2019 and 2020, so this is not a clean succession. The record does not say whether it is one award written two ways or two awards.
2019—2026
· 7 editions · 3 labels
Active
14
Best Gospel Artiste
2003—2020
· 18 editions · 6 labels
Ended 2020
→became Best Gospel Artiste
· Renamed
· 2021
Part of the 2021 relabelling: "X Artiste of the Year" becomes "Best X Artiste".
Part of the 2021 relabelling: "X Artiste of the Year" becomes "Best X Artiste".
2021—2026
· 6 editions
Active
15
Producer of the Year
2005—2019
· 7 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2019
→became Producer of the Year
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2009
Overlapping runs; the record does not establish whether these were one award or two.
Overlapping runs; the record does not establish whether these were one award or two.
2009—2026
· 13 editions · 3 labels
Active
16
Best Highlife Artiste
2007—2020
· 12 editions · 7 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2026
· 6 editions
Active
17
Best African Artiste
2007—2020
· 14 editions · 4 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2024
· 4 editions
Ended 2024
18
Best Traditional Artiste
2008—2020
· 12 editions · 4 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2023
· 3 editions
Ended 2023
19
Best Instrumentalist
2008—2020
· 12 editions · 4 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2023
· 3 editions
Ended 2023
20
Best Hip-hop Song
2009—2020
· 11 editions · 4 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2026
· 6 editions · 3 labels
Active
21
Best Rap Performance
2010—2020
· 11 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2020
→became Best Rap Performance
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2021
The award moves from honouring a rapper to honouring a performance. Related, not demonstrably continuous.
The award moves from honouring a rapper to honouring a performance. Related, not demonstrably continuous.
2021—2026
· 6 editions
Active
22
Best Music Video Director
2011—2018
· 8 editions · 2 labels
Ended 2018
→became Best Music Video Director
· Disputed Relationship uncertain
· 2022
The 2022 award names the director rather than the video. Whether this replaced or split from the video award is not stated.
The 2022 award names the director rather than the video. Whether this replaced or split from the video award is not stated.
2022—2026
· 5 editions · 2 labels
Active
23
Best Reggae/Dancehall Song
2013—2020
· 8 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2026
· 6 editions · 2 labels
Active
24
Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste
2015—2020
· 5 editions · 3 labels
Ended 2020
2021—2026
· 6 editions · 2 labels
Active
25
International Collaboration of the Year
held once, 2020
· 1 edition
Ended 2020
→became International Collaboration of the Year
· Renamed
· 2021
The 2021 relabelling drops "Best" here rather than adding it.
The 2021 relabelling drops "Best" here rather than adding it.
2021—2026
· 5 editions · 2 labels
Active
One mark per edition, 2000 to 2026; filled where that name was the one awarded. Where two names in a lineage overlap, the record gives both in the same year — that is why the link is marked uncertain rather than resolved.
What we are not sure of
Links the record implies but does not state.
2019 · Both are awarded in 2019 and 2020, so this is not a clean succession. The record does not say whether it is one award written two ways or two awards.
Disputed
2013 · Both name an engineering award and their runs do not overlap, but no source states a formal continuation.
Disputed
2009 · Overlapping runs; the record does not establish whether these were one award or two.
Disputed
2010 · These differ only in which genre is written first, and their runs overlap. Our normaliser folds spelling, not word order, so they are kept apart and the question is left open.
Disputed
2021 · The award moves from honouring a rapper to honouring a performance. Related, not demonstrably continuous.
Disputed
2022 · The 2022 award names the director rather than the video. Whether this replaced or split from the video award is not stated.
Disputed
2017 · Both run between 2017 and 2020. Group of the Year starts earlier and ends later, which a rename cannot explain.
Disputed
These are recorded as connections because the shape of the record suggests one, not because a source says so. They are kept separate so the 31 stated changes are not diluted by the 7 inferred ones.
What never changed
83 categories carry one identity from first award to last.
That is the larger share of the archive, and worth saying plainly: most Ghana Music Awards categories were named once and left alone. 1 of them ran in every edition. 52 were held exactly once and never returned.
Not recorded
No source states why any of these changes were made. The years are read from when a
label stops appearing and another starts, not from an announcement, a rulebook, or a press release — none of which are
in the record. A category that vanished for several years and returned under a new name is indistinguishable here from
one that was deliberately replaced.Missing