Molly Makes History as First Ghanaian Nominated for American Music Awards

Molly Makes History as First Ghanaian Nominated for American Music Awards

  • Ghanaian singer Moliy has made history with an American Music Awards nomination for Best Afrobeats Artiste
  • The nomination has added to Molly's growing list of international accolades and global recognition
  • Shake It To The Max also earned additional nods at Billboard Africa and Telecel Ghana Music Awards

Ghanaian singer Moliy has etched her name in history, becoming the first Ghanaian artiste to earn a nomination at the prestigious American Music Awards for its 2026 edition.

Moliy, Ghanaian singer, Shake It To The Max, American Music Awards nomination, Billboard Africa, Telecel Ghana Music Awards
Moliy becomes the first Ghanaian musician to bag American Music Awards nomination. Photo source: @moliy
Source: Getty Images

The Shake It To The Max hitmaker received a nomination in the Best Afrobeats Artiste category, joining some of Africa's biggest names on the list, including South Africa's Tyla and Nigeria's Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Rema. The ceremony is scheduled for May 25.

The historic nomination adds to a growing list of international accolades for the genre-blending singer, who has been steadily building a fanbase well beyond the African continent.

Moliy's remarkable rise on the global stage gained significant momentum after Shake It To The Max (FLY) Remix earned her the Hit Maker of the Year award at Billboard Africa.

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She further cemented her international standing by winning the World Artist of the Year award at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, beating Nigerian star Ayra Starr, South Africa's Tyla, China's Jackson Wangg, and Japanese group JO1.

She was also nominated for Best New Artist Hip-Hop at the same iHeartRadio ceremony, though the award went to American rapper Real Boston Richey.

On the local front, Moliy's Shake It To The Max has also secured a nomination for Popular Song of the Year at the 2026 Telecel Ghana Music Awards, scheduled for May 9.

Her nomination at the American Music Awards is widely seen as a landmark moment for Ghanaian music on the global stage.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah avatar

Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah (HOD Entertainment) Jeffrey is the Head of the Entertainment Desk and a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He started as a reporter with Ghana News Agency (GNA). He joined Primnewsghana.com in 2016 as an editor. He moved to YEN.com.gh in 2017 as an editor and has risen to his current position. You can contact him via e-mail: j.owusu-mensah@yen.com.gh