Stonebwoy, a popular Dancehall/Reggae musician, has expressed his belief that he deserved to win the Artist of the Year award in 2019 at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), despite being disqualified by Charterhouse and the VGMA board for pulling a gun on stage. Stonebwoy and his rival Shatta Wale were involved in a near physical altercation during the 20th VGMA awards ceremony, which resulted in the two being picked up by the police. The VGMA board subsequently banned both musicians for a number of years and decided not to award the overall Artist of the Year award to any of the nominees.
Three years later, Stonebwoy spoke about the incident in an interview on TV3 New Day, stating that he acknowledged his past achievements, including winning the Artist of the Year award in 2015 and the BET Awards. He expressed his belief that he should have won the award in 2019 and hoped that he would receive it one day. Stonebwoy also congratulated Black Sherif for his hard work and showmanship during the awards and commended the efforts of Charterhouse and organizers.
The Artist of the Year category is one of the most highly anticipated and fiercely contested at Ghana’s prominent music award ceremonies. Stonebwoy returned to the VGMA scheme in 2022 and has continued to excel in his musical journey, garnering more nominations. Stonebwoy was remorseful for his behavior in 2019 and held no malice against Charterhouse and the organizers.
