Wendy Shay has reignited debate ahead of the 2026 Telecel Ghana Music Awards scheduled to happen on the 8th May, 2026, after declaring herself the frontrunner for the coveted Artiste of the Year title and urging music fan bases across the country to vote massively in her favour.
The singer made the statement in a social media post shared on Thursday April 9th, just days after fellow nominee Black Sherif publicly backed her candidacy in an interview that has since become part of the growing conversation around this year’s most contested award category.
In her social media post, Wendy Shay thanked her supporters and expressed certainty about her chances of winning the top prize at this year’s awards.
“I know everyone is aware this year’s TGMA Artiste of the year is Me. Thanks to Ghana, SHAYGANG, media personalities and to all the Artistes showing me love and advocating for me to win. I will urge the fans of SM, Bhimanatives, Sark Nation, BYK, Blacko tribe, and every other fanbase to vote massively for me.”
Wendy Shay
Her remarks quickly drew reactions online, with supporters praising her confidence while others argued that the competition remains too close for any artiste to claim an early advantage.
Wendy Shay enters the TGMA race with seven nominations, placing her among the most nominated artistes this year. She is in contention for Artiste of the Year alongside Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Medikal and Diana Hamilton.
Her other nominations include Most Popular Song of the Year, Best Afrobeats Song, Best Afropop Song, Album or EP of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Female Vocal Performance.
The strong nomination count signals what has been a successful year for the RuffTown Records artiste, whose releases during the year under review gained wide airplay and commercial attention. Her album, Ready has also been cited by fans as one of the projects strengthening her case in this year’s awards race.
The 2026 Telecel Ghana Music Awards, organised by Charterhouse, marks the 27th edition of Ghana’s biggest music awards scheme and is scheduled to take place on May 9 in Accra. The event recognises outstanding achievements in Ghanaian music across multiple genres and remains the industry’s most prestigious honours platform.
Black Sherif Endorsement Adds Support To Wendy Shay Campaign
Wendy Shay’s latest declaration comes shortly after Black Sherif, who is also nominated in the same category and contending for 9 industry awards, publicly argued that Wendy Shay deserves stronger recognition in conversations around the Artiste of the Year race.
Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey a few days before Wendy Shay’s post, Black Sherif questioned why her name was often left out in public debates about likely winners.
“I would say I don’t like how people are not mentioning Wendy Shay’s name for the Artiste of the Year category. If I am taking everything as real as it is and seeing things for what it is, I will say I don’t like how they are not mentioning Wendy Shay for artiste of the year because I feel she is eligible for artiste of the year this year. We should empower women.”
Black Sherif
His comments drew attention because they came from one of her direct competitors and were widely shared across social media, where fans described them as a rare show of support in a highly competitive awards season.
Despite the endorsement, the Artiste of the Year category remains one of the hardest to predict. Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Medikal, Black Sherif and Diana Hamilton all enter the race with strong records over the eligibility period, making this year’s contest especially tight.
Since nominations were announced on March 14, debate over likely winners has dominated entertainment discussions, with fan bases actively campaigning online. Under TGMA rules, winners are determined through a combination of academy voting, board review and public votes, making fan mobilisation a critical part of the process.
Wendy Shay’s post has now added fresh momentum to the race, placing her campaign firmly at the centre of this year’s TGMA conversation as anticipation builds toward awards night.
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