A Ghanaian afrobeat artist, Gregory Bortey Newman, also known as King Promise, has revealed that perseverance and hard work garnered him Album of the Year at the 24th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).
King Promise’s “5 Star” did the trick for him at the music fiesta held at the Grand Arena, Accra International Conference Center.
Nominees in the category included; Black Sherif (The Villain I Never Was), Sarkodie (Jamz), Gyakie (My Diary), Kwesi Arthur (Son of Jacob), and Joe Mettle’s (The Kadosh).
Speaking to Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (8 May), King Promise said: “We made amazing music for the rest of the world and Ghana. We put Ghanaian music on the map, and I’m just glad that we could do that.”
“I just kept pushing and trusting that God will work it out just how it’s supposed to be, and He did just that.
“It takes a lot of hard work, persistence and dedication. I had to sacrifice – times where I could’ve been sleeping like any regular student, I just went harder in the studio. It’s all hard work and persistence,” King Promise said.
Listen to King Promise in the attached audio clip below:
The ultimate prize
Mohammed Ismail Sharrif, better known by his stage name, Black Sherif, won the Artiste of the Year award. Black Sherif beats contenders such as Sarkodie, Camidoh, King Promise and Piesie Esther to win the ultimate prize.
The “Kwaku the Traveller” hitmaker also won the Best Music Video award, Most Popular Song of the Year and Best Hiplife Song of the Year.
His closest rival, Piesie Esther, grabbed two awards – Best Gospel Song with “Wayɛ me yie” and the Best Gospel Artiste of the Year.