Shatta Wale wins award at 39th IRAWMA

Ghana’s Shatta Wale was one of the few Ghanaians who could pick up an award when the winners for the 39th edition of International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA 2021) was announced last night.

This year’s award was held virtually on Sunday, May 2, under the theme, ‘Reggae/World Music Still Rise.‘

Shatta Wale won the award for “Best Virtual Entertainer Of The Year” category.

Aside from Shatta Wale, Ghana’s DJ Switch and Kwame Yeboah also made the country proud by winning in some categories of the awards.

Sarkodie and Stonebwoy however failed to pick awards, even though they were nominated in some categories as well.

Below is the full list of winners:

1.Emperor of Reggae & World Music – Hon. Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year

Buju Banton *WINNER
Koffee
PopCaan
Protoje
Sizzla Kolongi

2. Peter Tosh Award for Recording Artist of the Year – Sponsored by IRIE FM

Buju Banton
Koffee
PopCaan
Protoje
Tarrus Riley

3. Jacob Miller Award for Best Male Vocalist – Sponsored by

Chronixx
Gramps Morgan
Proteje
Romain Virgo
Tarrus Riley *WINNER

4. Best Female Vocalist – Sponsored by Missyquai Signature Hair

Etana
Koffee *WINNER
Lila Ike
Sevana
Noami Cowan

5. Gregory Isaacs for Best Song – Sponsored by DSE (Downsound Entertainment)

“Blessed”- Buju Banton

“People LIke You” – Gramps Morgan

“Lock Down”- Koffee *WINNER

“Like Royalty”- Protoje & PopCaan

“Lighter” – Taurus Riley & Shenseea & Rvssian

6. Toots Hibbert Award for Best Album/CD – By MCGES (Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sports)

“Upside Down- Buju Banton *WINNER

“In Search of Lost Time”- Protoje

“Higher Place”- Skip Marley

“One World” – The Wailers, featuring Skip Marley, Farruko, Shaggy and Cedella Marley.

“Hot Shot 2020”- Shaggy

7. Best Crossover Song

“People Like You” – Gramps Morgan

“Don’t Walk Away”- John Legend, featuring Koffee

”Party Next Door” – PopCaan, featuring Drake *WINNER

“I Don’t Know Why” – Rvissian, featuring Shenseea, Swae Lee and Young Tug

”Slow Down”- Ship Marley and “H.E.R.”

8. Best Gospel Song

“Forgiveness”- Eddie Neblett

“People Like You” – Gramps Morgan *WINNER

”Carry Me” – Kevin Downswell

“Watch Over Me” – Jermaine Edwards

“I’m Gonna Trust You” – Judith Gayle

9. U-Roy Award for Best Male Dancehall Artist

Beenie Man
Buju Banton
Bounty Killer
Govana
Popcaan

10. Best Female Dancehall Artist

D’Angel
Jada Kingdom
Shenseea
Spice
Stefflon Don

11. Best New Entertainer – Sponsored by IRIE JAM – 360

Alicia Harley – Jamaica
Nailah Blackman- Trinidad
Nomcebo Zikode – South Africa *WINNER
Sevena – Jamaica
Skillibeng – Jamaica

12. Best Virtual Entertainer of the Year

Agent Sasco
Beenie Man & Bounty Killer – Verzuz
Buju Banton
Capleton
Shatta Wale *WINNER

13. Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer

Farmer Nappy
Kes
Nadia Batson
Nailah Blackman
Patrice Roberts

14. Best Dancehall Stagecraft Entertainer – Sponsored by Onstage TV Winford Williams

Agent Sasco
Beenie Man & Bounty Killer- Verzuz Battle
Buju Banton
Desta Daps
Sizzla Kalonji
Spice

15. Best Latin – Reggae Flavor Entertainer

Bad Bunny – Puerto Rico
Daddy Yankee *WINNER
Don Omar
J. Balvin
Ozuna

16. Best African Dancehall Entertainer

Buffalo Souljah – South Africa
Shatta Wale – Ghana
Stonebwoy – Ghana
Patoranking – Nigeria
Winky D – Zimbabwe *WINNER

17. Best Afrobeat Entertainer – Sponsored by African Spectrum

Burna Boy – Nigeria
Davido – Nigeria
Diamond Platnumz – Tanzania
Master KG, featuring Nomcebo Zikode “Jerusalema” – South Africa
Wizkid – Nigeria

18 . Best Virtual Showcase/Concert

Beenie Man vs Bounty Verzuz Battle

Rebel Salute

Reggae Sumfest

Sarkodie – Black Love Virtual Concert

19. Best R&B/Hip Hop & Reggae Collaborated Song

“Trust” – Buju Banton and Tory Lanez

”Slow Down”- Skip Marley and H.E.R

”Twist” – Drake & Popcaan *WINNER

“Don’t Walk Away”- Koffee – featuring John Legend

“Love Mi Ladies“ – Oryane – featuring Sean Paul

20. Best Reggae Rock Entertainer

Gentleman *WINNER
Rebelution Band
SOJA
Slightly Stoopid
Stick Figure

21. Best Young Entertainer (18 years and under) – Portland Curry Fest

DJ Switch * WINNER
DJ Whitney
Kailash
Wayne J.

22. Best Music Video

Buju Banton “Blessed”

Master KG, featuring Nomcebo- “Jerusalema” *WINNER
Sevana – “ Mango”

Taurus Riley & Shenseea “Lighter”

Sean Paul- “Love Me Ladies”

The Wailers, featuring Skip Marley, Farruko, Shaggy and Cedella Marley- “One World”

23. Mutabaruka Award for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer

Antonia Valaire, Aka Christina Williams
Malachi Smith
Richie Innocent
Vachi Kepwe Di Poet – Zimbabwe * WINNER
Wise Wurdz

24. Most Cultural/Educational Entertainer

Anthony B.
Capleton
Ras Takura * WINNER
Mutabaruka
Kabaka Pyramid

25. Dennis Brown Award for Most Promising Entertainer

Bugle
Lila Ike
Orisha Sound
Sevana *WINNER
Skillibeng

26. Best Instrumentalist – Sponsored by 25th Century Radio

Dean Fraser
Kubix
Bongo Herman
Kwame Yeboah *WINNER
Sly & Robbie

27. Best Sound System/DJ

Dynamq – Africa *WINNER
Little Thunder – Canada
Pink Panther – Jamaica
Tony Matterhorn – Jamaica

28. Best Caribbean Entertainer – Sponsored by VP Records

Beenie Man
Bounty Killer
Buju Banton
Kes
Sean Paul

29. Record Producer of the Year – Sponsored by Balloons by Jaki Jade

Chimney Records *WINNER
Dane Ray
Andron “IzyBeats” Cross
Notnice
Rvssian

30. Comedian of the Year

Chris “Johnny” Daley *WINNER
Ity & Fancy Cat
Majah Hype
Oliver Samuels
Prince Pine

31. Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award Nominees

Bounty Killer
Buju Banton *WINNER
Sharon Wiles
Sonia Patterson- Portland Curry Fest.

IRAWMA Award of Honor: Papa Michigan

IRAWMA Special Philanthropist Award: Josef Bogdanovich

RAWMA 2021 Inductee IRAWMA Hall of Fame/ Lifetime Achievement Award recipient: Ziggy Marley.