Asiama’s ‘Akoma’ marks a trifecta of firsts with “Best Male Vocal Performance” win at the 27th TGMA

Asiama’s Best Male Vocal Performance win for Akoma marks a remarkable trifecta of firsts: debut single, first nomination, and first major TGMA win.

At this year’s Telecel Ghana Music Awards, one artist quietly emerged as one of the ceremony’s most compelling breakthrough stories: Asiama. Many listeners first encountered him through Akoma, his debut single that earned him Best Male Vocal Performance at the 27th TGMA and a Record of the Year nomination.

For many audiences hearing him for the first time, the reaction was immediate: “Who is he?”

Some described the moment as anomalous, not because the recognition felt misplaced, but because voices with this level of emotional restraint and depth rarely arrive so suddenly. And yet, once he sings, the uncertainty disappears. There is a stillness in Asiama’s vocals that quietly commands attention. His voice carries vulnerability, honesty, and spiritual weight in a way that feels increasingly uncommon within contemporary music.

Born Emmanuel Asiamah Mensah in Effiduase and raised in Kumasi, Asiama grew up immersed in gospel music, hymns, choral harmonies, and Highlife traditions. Some audiences may also remember him from X Factor (Glo), where his appearance at just 12 years old deeply moved judges, including Reggie Rockstone, M.I Abaga, and the late Mrs Onyeka Onwenu.

“The rules are the rules, but don’t be discouraged,” Onyeka told him after the competition. “By the time you come of age to take part in a contest like this, there won’t even be a contest. You’ll be beyond it.”

Those words remained with him for years and shaped his decision to approach music patiently and intentionally. That mentor and producer would later become Kwame Yeboah.

Speaking about Asiama, Yeboah has described the artist simply as “a rare gem.” The world surrounding Asiama has also been shaped by the broader creative direction and artistic vision of Be.love, with emotionally immersive and symbolically driven storytelling led by its founder, Tina ‘Belove’ Atiemo.

At its core, Akoma reflects the emotional and spiritual conflict between temptation and conscious pleas for strength over the desires of the heart and mind.

“For many listeners, Asiama’s arrival feels less like discovery and more like recognition.”

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