In a feat mirroring the ultimate achievements in European football, a select group of Ghanaian artists have achieved the coveted ‘TGMA treble’ – winning Artiste of the Year, Best Genre Artiste of the Year, and Album/EP of the Year in a single Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) ceremony. This exclusive accomplishment, achieved by only four artists in 26 completed editions from 2000 to 2025, signifies a rare convergence of sustained popularity, genre mastery, and exceptional project creation within a single awards cycle.
The Rarity of the Treble
Much like the ‘treble’ in football, which requires a team to conquer league, domestic cup, and continental championship in one season, the TGMA treble demands a multi-faceted dominance from an artist. It requires not only the broad appeal to be crowned Artiste of the Year but also the specialized excellence to win within their specific genre and the critical acclaim to have their album or EP recognized as the year’s best. This rigorous combination explains why, across more than two decades, only a handful of artists have managed to secure all three prestigious awards on the same night.
The Illustrious ‘Class of Four’
The first artist to achieve this remarkable feat was Sarkodie at the 11th edition in 2010. His debut album, ‘Makye,’ propelled him to victory in Artiste of the Year, Hip-Hop/Hiplife Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year categories, alongside other accolades, marking a decisive entry into the awards’ history books.
After a twelve-year hiatus, KiDi broke the drought at the 23rd edition in 2022. His project ‘The Golden Boy’ was the cornerstone of his success, earning him Artiste of the Year, Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste of the Year, and Album/EP of the Year. Additional wins for popular songs further solidified his dominant performance.
Stonebwoy achieved the treble at the 25th edition in 2024, the awards’ silver jubilee. Having previously won Artiste of the Year in 2015 but missing out on Album of the Year, this night was a rewrite. He secured Artiste of the Year, defended his Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year title, and won Album/EP of the Year for ‘5th Dimension,’ ultimately becoming the night’s most decorated artist.
The most recent inductee into this elite club is King Promise, who accomplished the treble at the 26th edition in 2025. After multiple nominations for Artiste of the Year, his patience paid off as he claimed the top award along with Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste of the Year and Album of the Year for ‘True to Self.’
Key Ingredients for a TGMA Treble
Analysis of these four historic wins reveals three critical components that are non-negotiable for achieving the TGMA treble:
1. A Defining Album: Each treble winner was anchored by a specific body of work that resonated universally with both the industry and the public. ‘Makye,’ ‘The Golden Boy,’ ‘5th Dimension,’ and ‘True to Self’ were not merely good or popular records; they were recognized as defining projects of their respective cycles, leaving no room for debate in the Album of the Year category.
2. Undisputed Genre Dominance: Winning one’s specific genre category is paramount, akin to winning a league title in football. Sarkodie’s dominance in Hip-Hop/Hiplife, KiDi and King Promise in Afrobeats/Afropop, and Stonebwoy in Reggae/Dancehall exemplify this essential requirement. Failure to secure this category disqualifies an artist from a credible treble claim, as seen in instances where artists won Artiste of the Year but lost their genre category.
3. Crossover Appeal Beyond Core Fanbase: While genre mastery is crucial, achieving the treble necessitates a broader reach. Each winning album featured at least one track that transcended its genre’s typical audience, capturing the wider pop conversation. This crossover appeal is vital for the Artiste of the Year award, which heavily factors in overall audience engagement.
Structural Hurdles and Evolving Trends
The rarity of the treble is also attributed to the distinct judging criteria and constituencies for each award. Artiste of the Year considers a blend of academy votes, board input, and public popularity. Genre Artiste focuses more on peer and board judgment of sonic dominance within a category. Album of the Year evaluates a project’s artistic statement, cohesion, and impact. These differing metrics mean an artist can excel in one area without necessarily dominating the others, as evidenced by gospel artists Joe Mettle and Diana Hamilton, who won Artiste of the Year and their genre award but missed out on Album of the Year.
Furthermore, the competition design often pits Artiste of the Year frontrunners against established artists with stronger individual projects in the Album of the Year category, creating another hurdle for a clean sweep.
The Recent Acceleration of the Treble
Strikingly, three of the four trebles have occurred in the last four editions (KiDi in 2022, Stonebwoy in 2024, King Promise in 2025). This trend is largely attributed to the increasing prominence of the album cycle as the central unit of measurement in contemporary Ghanaian music. With the rise of streaming, artists now build their entire year around a single project, integrating deluxe editions, visualizers, listening parties, and tours. This shift has made winning Album of the Year a more natural progression alongside Artiste of the Year, transforming the treble from a feat requiring luck to one demanding meticulous album planning.
Tonight’s Potential Fifth Treble Winner
The 27th edition of the TGMA, commencing tonight, presents a genuine possibility for a fifth artist to achieve the treble. Black Sherif enters the night with ‘Iron Boy,’ an album that has dominated charts and metrics, including 21 weeks at the top of Apple Music Ghana and a UK Top Debut Albums entry. JoyNews Research projections place him as the frontrunner in all three treble-defining categories: Artiste of the Year (45%), Best Hiplife/Hip-Hop Artiste (55%), and Album/EP of the Year (55%).
Should Black Sherif achieve this, he would join the exclusive ranks of Sarkodie, KiDi, Stonebwoy, and King Promise. This would also mark him as only the second artist in TGMA history, after Sarkodie, to secure the treble early in his career. The attainment of this rare feat underscores the blend of defining artistry, genre leadership, and widespread appeal required to conquer the TGMA stage, making tonight’s ceremony a potentially historic one.
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