The organisers of Vodafone Ghana Music Awards have made some changes in the category definitions for the 2018 edition of the awards.

One of these is the change in name and voting pattern for the Most Popular Song of the Year category. That category is now known as ‘Song of the Year.’

In the past years, the power to choose the song of the year was the preserve of the general public. The public nominated and voted for nominees in the category.

The previous definition states: “the Most Popular Song of the Year is the songs adjudged 100% by the General Public as the most popular song released in the year under review, irrespective of genre. The song must have enjoyed a lot of patronage and generated the most excitement during the year.”

However, in the new definition, the Board has 30% voting power, the Academy 30% and the remainder 40% is reserved for the general public.

“The Song of the Year is the song nominated SOLELY BY THE PUBLIC and adjudged by Academy, Board and General Public as the most popular song released in the year under review. The song must have enjoyed a lot of patronage and generated the most excitement during the year.”

Last year, ‘Christie’ by Dobble won the Most Popular Song of the Year award. This year, most entertainment pundits have tipped Ebony’s ‘Poison,’ Joe Mettle’s ‘Bo Noo Ni’ and ‘Kuami Eugene’s ‘Angela’ as potential nominees.

Others are ‘Odo’ by Kidi, ‘One Corner’ by Patapaa, Shatta Wale’s ‘Taking Over’ and ‘Bronya’ by Wutah.

Already, entries for nominations have closed and the 2018 edition of the VGMA I expected to be launched on 2nd March, 2018 at the Movempick Hotel in Accra. After that there will be a nominees’ jam in Cape Coast.

The 2018 VGMAs is scheduled for 14th April, 2018 at the Accra International Conference Centre.

See other changes in other category definitions below: