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Senior Police Officer SP Kofi Sarpong is the only Gospel musician competing for Artiste of the Year in the 2016 edition of the annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs); and with just a few days to the grand event, several of the country’s gospel musicians have thrown their weight behind him and are calling on their fans across the country to vote for him.

Kofi Sarpong is competing for Artiste of the Year with five other top secular musicians. The category, aside SP Sarpong, also has E.L, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Bisa Kdei and VVIP in contention.

“It is time for Gospel Music to receive the highest honour at the VGMAs. I believe Kofi Sarpong has all it takes to be the artiste of the year but it will only happen with your vote,” award-winning music producer and gospel musician Nacee stated and even put out an art work calling on his fans to vote for Kofi Sarpong by texting ‘A’ to the short code 1767.

The Artiste of the Year is the biggest honour at the VGMAs and for the past 17 years since its inception, it has never been won by a Gospel musician. This might be the reason Nacee, Oheema Mercy, Tagoe Sisters, Joyce Blessing, Gifty Osei,  Bernice Offei, Willi and Mike, Emelia Arthur, Diana Hamilton, Louisa the good old Helena Rabbles and several others have all teamed up to back Kofi Sarpong and are campaigning for him to win.

According to the official category definition, the Artiste of the Year is the artiste adjudged by the Academy, Board and the general public as the artiste with the highest audience appeal and popularity. The artiste must have released a hit single or album during the year under review.

Kofi Sarpong believes he has worked hard enough during the year under review to deserve the award: “My team and I worked very hard in 2015 and the results are all over. I believe that going by the category definition, I deserve the award. All across the country and even in the hinterlands, my audience appeal and popularity is not in doubt.

“My album has also done very well and even children can sing the songs back to back. The album has more than five mage hit tracks on it and I believe all things being equal and with votes, I would make it. I very much thank all the persons praying with me, praying for me, voting for me and campaigning for me,” SP Kofi Sarpong told News-One.

He has also been nominated for ‘Gospel Song of the Year’, ‘Gospel Artiste of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year’.

This year’s VGMAs ceremony is slated for May 7 at the Accra International Conference Centre.