Late dancehall artiste, Ebony Reigns, is still reigning as the Artiste of the Year in 2019.
Organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, Charterhouse, have nullified the Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year award categories for 2019 thus making Ebony still Artiste of the Year.
It is the first time in the history of the VGMA since this has happened.
The Board of the awards scheme at a press conference at the Alisa Hotel in AccraThursday, revealed the results of the most anticipated categories will not be released and hence does not exist in this year’s scheme.
The chairman of the VGMA Board, Amandzeba, stated, “unfortunately we do not have ‘Song of the Year’ or ‘Artiste of the Year’ which to our interpretations means Ebony is still ‘Artiste of the Year.”
The decision of the VGMA board comes after the camps of dancehall artistes Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy got into a fight on the stage when the latter was announced Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year.
The two categories annulled were tipped to go to Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy.
However, the behaviour of the two artistes marred the 20th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
According to the organisers, the two artistes breached the code of conduct of the scheme.
Mark Okraku Mantey, a member of the Board, stated they hold the right to “dismiss, disqualify or ban any artiste who abuses the scheme, the board or any of its members with or without any just course or put the brand into any kind of disrepute.”
Also, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy have been stripped off all the awards won on the night and banned indefinitely.
The decision means that Shatta Wale is no longer the winner of the ‘Highlife Song of the Year’ for ‘My Level’ and ‘Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year’ for ‘Gringo’.
It also means that Stonebwoy has also lost the ‘Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year’ and ‘Best Collaboration of the Year’ awards he won on the night.
The two are in court after they were arrested on Sunday over the brawl that erupted at the event. They pleaded to not guilty to a charge of Offensive Conduct to Breaches of the Peace.
Stonebwoy pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of Display of a Weapon in a Public Place without permission.
The two were granted bail of ¢50,000 and one surety each and have been scheduled to reappear before the court on June 20.
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