King Promise has hit back at claims that a potential Artiste of the Year win at this year’s Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) would be down to sympathy, insisting his meteoric rise and hard work speak for themselves.

With a catalogue of hits, 10 nominations, and an international tour that saw him conquer stages across five continents, the ‘Terminator’ hitmaker is firmly in the spotlight as a frontrunner for the top honour and insists he has earned every right to walk away with the coveted title at the TGMA on Saturday, May 10, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

While the industry and fans gear up for what promises to be a spectacular night, some sceptics have suggested a potential win for King Promise could be compensation for last year’s missed dream after losing the title to his biggest rival, Stonebwoy.

As destiny would have it, the two music titans are locking horns once again for the industry’s highest honour. But this time, King Promise’s camp is hitting back fiercely, dismissing the “pity vote” narrative as nothing short of insulting to their artiste, who has earned his place at the top through unmatched hard work, hit records, and global dominance.

In a no-holds-barred interview with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, April 22 Tilly Akua Nipaa, spokesperson for King Promise’s TGMA campaign, insisted that a hard look at the artiste’s numbers, nominations, and performances clearly shows that a potential win for him would be swayed by results and not by sentiments.

She maintains that the numbers look more promising for King Promise this year. Compared to six nominations and two recognised songs last year, King Promise boasts 10 nominations and four chart-topping hits: Paris, Continental, Sexy, and Favourite Story. This jump, Tilly stresses, reflects the artiste’s local dominance and global reach, with performances in Asia, Europe, and North America, further solidifying his case. 

“Last year, when King Promise contested for Artiste of the Year, he had just two songs, including Terminator, which was nominated and had six nominations. This year, King Promise has four songs Paris, Continental, Sexy and Favourite Story and has 10 nominations, so you can see the double work done by the artiste in the year under review as compared to the previous year,” she said.

“If anybody says that King Promise will only win because of pity, it’s a fallacy because, with these numbers, you can’t tell me that he didn’t work hard to double the work he did last year.”

Tilly Akua Nipaa, spokesperson for King Promise’s TGMA campaign

While the Artiste of the Year category is packed with seven heavyweights, including King Paluta, Black Sherif, Kweku Smoke, Joe Mettle, and Team Eternity Ghana, many fans and pundits have zeroed in on a potential three-horse race between King Promise, King Paluta and Stonebwoy.

Tilly explained that while other nominees stood a good chance to win, King Promise stood miles and shoulders above the rest based on pure artistry, achievements, reach, consistency and impact.

 “If it’s about the work that was done in 2024, take the artistry head-to-head and you will see how King Promise moves ahead of all of them. In 2024, King Promise's global reach expanded significantly, with performances in five continents, including Asia, where he successfully broke into markets in Singapore, Indonesia, Dubai, Japan, and Malaysia,” she said.

Nonetheless, she was quick to admit that talent and chart-topping hits alone were not enough to secure the ultimate honour, as the final verdict lies with the TGMA Board, Academy, and the voting public.

"It's not just about having a good chance; it's about securing votes. The question often asked is: did the artiste's team actively vote, mobilise supporters to vote, and canvass for votes?"