On Saturday November 29 the spotlight in Accra briefly switched from singers to those who spin the songs. At the Palms Convention Centre, the 13th edition of the Guinness Ghana DJ Awards, this year under the banner “Shake the Floor”, brought together club-goers, radio-jocks, music executives and DJs, all gathered to celebrate the hidden hands behind the DJ booth.
The results reflected both continuity and disruption. DJ Sly King carted off the top prize, the much-coveted “DJ of the Year.” Meanwhile, veteran broadcaster Doreen Andoh — whose voice has shaped Ghanaian radio for decades — was given a Lifetime Achievement Award, reminding the crowd that DJs and radio presenters still occupy distinct but complementary spheres in the country’s soundscape.
And the night had other reminders of how much the DJ game has grown: from scratch specialists to club DJs, mobile disc-spinners to radio tastemakers. The winners list, long and variegated, reflects a scene increasingly conscious of its own complexity.
For years, DJ Sly King has hovered near the top of Ghana’s DJ rankings. This year he entered the Awards with high expectations, including eight nominations in key categories, a clear signal from the industry that his work had resonated.
His win as DJ of the Year was more than symbolic. In addition to the title, he received a brand-new Pioneer DJ controller, a useful tool, and a nod from sponsors that DJs remain central not just to nightlife, but to commercial DJ culture.
For many, the victory marks a turning point: a recognition that DJing in Ghana increasingly prizes technical skill, consistency and a year-long presence across clubs, festivals and radio. As one observer put it, Sly King “has been putting in so much work in the year under review.”
While Sly King may have earned the crown, he was far from the only winner. The Awards honoured a wide swathe of the DJ ecosystem — from scratch DJs to club performers, radio DJs to mobile DJs — suggesting that Ghana’s DJ scene is neither monolithic nor narrowing.
For example, DJ Fantastic, associated with Hitz FM, took home “Afrobeats DJ of the Year,” underscoring the rising influence of Afrobeats and the DJs who curate its spread. Meanwhile, DJ Coleda, well-known in Kumasi’s club scene, was awarded “Scratch DJ of the Year,” a win that highlights the continuing appreciation for technical craftsmanship, even as commercial DJing becomes more prominent.
The diversity of winners reflects the reality that Ghana’s music economy is not just about star DJs or radio personalities. It is a network of niches: club nights, radio airwaves, mobile events, scratch battles, each with its own standards, its own audience, and its own claim to legitimacy.
The significance of the 2025 Awards goes beyond trophies. By highlighting radio figures like Doreen Andoh alongside club DJs, the event subtly affirmed that Ghana’s music scene depends as much on curation and exposure as it does on hits and performance. DJs are gatekeepers of taste. They decide which songs get heard, which records climb, and which artists gain traction.
In that respect, this edition of the Awards may mark a maturation. What began years ago as a night of glitz and nightlife has evolved into a more serious institution — a recognition that DJ culture in Ghana is a profession, not just entertainment. The expanded set of categories, the inclusion of mobile DJs, scratch specialists and even promoters, signal a widening definition of what it means to shape Ghana’s music scene.
That maturity, however, comes with challenges. As DJs gain influence, questions about access, equity and gate-keeping power will inevitably follow. Who gets airtime? Which DJs secure the big gigs? Which regions beyond Accra and Kumasi get fair representation? The Awards ceremony — for all its celebration — might also serve as a moment of reckoning for a scene still striving for inclusivity and balance.
In a country where music has become both a cultural export and a source of national identity, DJs occupy an increasingly central role. The 2025 Guinness Ghana DJ Awards show that DJing in Ghana is no longer a side hustle — it is a career, a craft, a platform.
Even as the awards celebrate individual victories, they also point to a broader shift: the DJ is no longer invisible. The DJ is now visible, influential, and benchmarked. And in that visibility lies the potential for the kind of structural changes — in airplay, exposure, regional representation, and creative investment — that can shape Ghana’s music industry for years to come.
