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Ghanaian music star Wendy Shay has been crowned Best Female Artiste, Western Africa at the AFRIMA 2025 awards, marking a major milestone in her music career and a proud moment for Ghana’s entertainment industry.
The category was highly competitive, with Ghana’s Amaarae, Moliy and Wendy Shay all earning nominations in the Best Female Artiste (West Africa) category, highlighting the country’s strong female presence on the continental music scene.
The award recognises Wendy Shay’s impact, consistency, and influence across the West African music industry over the past year. Receiving the honour on stage, the singer delivered an emotional and heartfelt acceptance speech, expressing gratitude to God, her fans, and the team that has supported her journey.
“Wow. Thank you so much. I want to say a very big thank you to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” she said. “I want to say thank you to my fans, the Shay Gang, and to my partners and label, Roughtown Records and OneRPM.”
Wendy Shay also gave special recognition to a young dancer, Tracy Shay, whose viral dance to her song Too Late contributed significantly to the song’s popularity. According to the artiste, the viral moment played a key role in amplifying the reach of her music.
The award-winning singer used the opportunity to speak candidly about the challenges she faced as a woman in the music industry, describing it as male-dominated and often unforgiving. She reflected on the bullying and difficulties she encountered when she first entered the industry, noting that her journey was far from easy.
“It is not easy to be a female artist in this male-dominated industry,” she stated. “Anyone who knows my story knows that I didn’t have it easy when I entered the industry. I went through a lot of bullying, but thank God I am here.”
Wendy Shay encouraged upcoming artistes, especially women, not to give up on their dreams despite challenges, urging them to use her story as motivation to persevere and remain focused on their goals.
She also thanked AFRIMA for giving her the opportunity to represent female artistes from West Africa and described the moment as deeply meaningful. Addressing the audience, she expressed appreciation to Nigeria and AFRIMA for welcoming her, noting that the event marked her first visit to the country.
“This is for Ghana,” she said. “Watch out for great artists from Ghana.”
Wendy Shay’s win adds to Ghana’s growing presence on the continental music stage and reinforces her position as one of West Africa’s leading female artistes.
Yaw Boagyan
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