The 3Music Awards: All Q and A

As Ghana music's greatest night for music opulence returns to town for its 5th edition, here is everything you have wanted to know about the 3Music Awards... 

What are the 3Music Awards?

The 3Music Awards is Ghana’s most anticipated music celebration, honouring the most outstanding music achievements annually. The show is reputed across Africa for its perennial innovations, trailblazing concepts, and dedication to wholly celebrating all aspects of music.

How are the Awards structured?

Collation and Review by the 3Music Board and Academy comes first. Then the nominees announcement, the Women’s Brunch, Fan Festival and Main Night. The Awards has also unveiled an annual social impact initiative dubbed the 3Music for Good Campaign to support all accessories of music show business.

Why did the 3Music Awards change its tagline?

The 3Music Awards announced that it had changed its tagline Here for the Music to More than Music to encapsulate a dedication to holistic music artforms, and support for all accessories of music.

So what is the awarding process like?

Nominations are opened to public voting a month and a half ahead of main night. Each category is distinct in terms of criteria, technicalities, and voting requirements.

The nominations for each category embody the most exceptional music entries from 1^st November to midnight of 31^st October each season, as collated and reviewed by the 3Music Awards Board and Academy.

The winner for some categories is determined by 40% Fan vote, with the Board and Academy accounting for 30% each. While some other categories are either 100% determined by the fans or by the Board and Academy for more technical awards.

When does voting end?

Three [3] days prior to Main Night. Voting for the 5^th annual 3Music Awards thus ends on Wednesday, March 22, 2022. Dial the shortcode *447*3# to vote.

How many categories for the 3Music Awards?

31 categories. They include new categories for African Song of the Year and Enabler of the Year.

What is the Women’s Brunch?

The popular 3Music Women’s Brunch is a feature of the Awards dedicated to women in creative arts. The show is broadcast at brunch-time during international women’s week to project the enterprise, challenges, and accomplishments of women in music and arts. A big feature of the Women’s Brunch is the reveal of the Top 50 Women in Africa list.

…And the Fan Festival?

The 3Music Awards launched its Fan Festival in February 2022. It is a music and arts carnival dedicated to music fans. At the fan festival, the brightest entertainers of the season- especially nominees for the 3Music Awards- convene and party live with the fans to mark the last weekend before main night.   

Where will the 3Music Awards be held this year?

The Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre

How much for a ticket?

Tickets sell at GH¢250 regular and GH¢350 VIP.

How to get a ticket?

Mobile short code *899*36#

The 3Music Awards is known for its trailblazing ideas. So what’s new this year?

Apart from a few alterations and additions to certain award categories, do look out for the pre-show and the stage set up. There are many more surprises we can’t tell you now. Secrets and surprises only help the fun!

What’s different this year?

The live audience and the entire event experience. It’s setting up to be another groundbreaking night.

What to expect for the Pre-show?

Now you are asking too much and ruining it. Look away now if you like surprises. And now to the rest of you, whose curiousity outweighs your patience, expect some remarkable performances from unexpected artistes. The drip carpet returns with the usual suspects.

How many artistes billed to perform?

25 artistes are officially billed to perform. That number excludes every surprise act you were not meant to be told.  

So who and who are performing?

Former 3Music Artiste of the Year KiDi, label mate Kuami Eugene, Camidoh, Mona Reall, Black Sherif, and many more.

Who is hosting the 3Music Awards 2022?

Jay Foley and Naa Ashorkor will host the event for a third consecutive time this year. It will be the first time hosting it before an in-person audience at the Awards for the duo having hosted the previous two events virtually in compliance with the national directives on public gathering due to COVID.

Lexis Bill and Cookie preceded them as hosts in 2019, while Joselyn Dumas and D-Black hosted the very first edition of the 3Music Awards in 2018.

Any speculative headlines this year at the 3Music Awards '22?

Yep. Way too many even. Sarkodie and KiDi both stand a chance to become the first acts to win the Artiste of the Year gong twice. The latter may just earn the unprecedented honour of doing it consecutively.

Gyakie swept the Early Award at the Women’s Brunch [Music Woman of the Year] but it’s Mona 4Reall whose award proved most significant as she became the first socialite to win an important music gong. Who wins Artiste of the Year? Gospel song of the Year has never been keener.

What to look out for?

That Next Rated Category. It’s probably the most treasured and resourceful award in African music celebration. The best unsung musical talents from all 16 regions pitched against one another to discover the most outstanding prodigy out of Ghana within the last year. It’s a level playing field targeted at rewarding pure talent and endeavor.

The 3Music Awards recognize the need to support and project the finest music creatives who are either away from the mainstream spotlight or marginalized as a result of doing music outside the nation’s dominant regions. Stars like Maccasio and Fancy Gaddam who fill whole stadia in their respective regions rarely get mentions in national conversations due to their station of operation.

How many women nominated this year?

24 women earned nominations at the 3Music Awards ‘22 this year- the highest for a Music Awards event in Ghana.

Runtime for the show?

The 3Music Awards runs for a production time of 4-5 hours on main night littered with announcements of award winners and performances. The show usually commences at 7pm local time and simulcast live on 3Music TV [and its affiliates] as well as all official 3Music handles on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Who is behind the 3Music Awards?

Sadiq Abu Abdullai is the pioneering brain behind the 3Music Awards. He also operates as the Managing Director of the 3Media Networks, proprietors of the Awards. In August 2021, the 3Music HQ was officially opened in Abelemkpe- Accra to run the 3Music TV, www.3Music.TV, and all other official 3Music and 3Music awards businesses.

The Women's Brunch for the 5th Annual 3Music Awards held at the venue in March 2022.

What is the Top 50 Women In Music?

The Top 50 Women in Music [Africa] list is an annual compilation of the most outstanding women in African music and arts. It highlights and celebrates the accomplishments and exceptional services delivered by female creatives, amplifiers, and enablers either within the year under review or with a reasonable retrospective impact on it.