Published: December 8, 2025
There is no perfect award ceremony; mistakes are inevitable. But nepotism should never be glorified above truth, merit, and genuine hard work. Young people often criticize politicians for misusing national resources, yet many of us fail to uphold integrity in our own spaces. If we encourage corruption in our small corners, then we are no different from those we condemn.
The MTN Liberia Music Awards (MLMA) should be a celebration of authenticity, transparency, growth, love, and everything that represents Liberia—not the corruption we claim to reject. At the core of being Liberian is freedom, and freedom stands firmly against all forms of slavery: mental, financial, moral, social, and more.
Many will argue that this year’s MLMA was fair simply because King Dennis was the people’s favorite and deservedly won major categories such as Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, and Hipco/Trapco Artist of the Year. His victories were earned, and rejecting him would have sparked public outrage strong enough to threaten the credibility of MLMA itself. In many ways, the legacy of this year’s awards depended on him—and through the theme “Loud and Liberian,” King Dennis embodied everything the program set out to celebrate.
Still, while his wins were unquestionable, several categories were not awarded to the rightful recipients. Let’s break down a few.
Afropop Artist of the Year
Jzyno should not feel proud taking this award home. If Will Flash’s hit song “My Ex” is widely recognized as the Afropop Song of the Year, there is no logical reason Jzyno should be named Afropop Artist of the Year.
Will Flash delivered stronger work, better representation, and more resonant music within the genre. His exclusion seems rooted not in merit but in hierarchy and politics. New Artist of the Year should have gone to SIO, while Will Flash should not have been robbed of Afropop Artist of the Year.
If Will Flash was only meant to win New Artist, why nominate him for Artist of the Year at all? Something feels off. Yes, Jzyno’s networking power kept him visible—but beyond that, what did he do better than Will Flash to justify winning the Afropop category?
Male Vocal Performance
Stunn is talented—no argument there. But vocally, “David” does not outperform C Jay’s “Severance.”
C Jay delivered one of the strongest, most emotionally charged vocal performances of the year. His voice carried depth, maturity, and soul. Meanwhile, Stunn’s performance on “David” was predictable—something he’s done repeatedly on previous songs.
If anyone else deserved to come close to the award aside from C Jay, it should have been J Slught with “Candy.” “David” should never have been nominated in this category at all.
Producer of the Year
MadnessBeatz is arguably the most musically intelligent producer, sound engineer, and A&R operating in Liberia right now. His genre experimentation with Kpanto, MC Caro, Boifatty (Gana Gana), and other artists raised the bar for the industry in a single year.
Liberia has not yet reached the production quality levels seen in Nigeria or South Africa, but MadnessBeatz stands out as one of the few pushing toward that standard. His work on “Messy”—a hit featuring only newcomers—combined thoughtful production with creative promotion, breaking the monotony of repetitive Amapiano-inspired beats saturating the market.
Despite this, he was overlooked. Producer of the Year should have been his.
Next Rated
Awarding Larry G over Nahj is a disservice to artistry. Larry G’s success this year was largely built on a single hit, while Nahj demonstrated consistency, versatility, and vocal dominance.
As the lead vocalist on “Messy,” one of the year’s most played songs, Nahj showed growth and staying power. Larry G has potential, but he is nowhere near Nahj’s level musically. MLMA’s choice suggests sentiment over merit—again undermining credibility.
Nahj deserved Next Rated.
Music Video & Video Director of the Year
This year’s theme was “Liberian and Loud,” yet the awards did not reflect that spirit.
Parashoot won Music Video Director of the Year for a project that wasn’t even named Music Video of the Year. And he did not direct “Yayo”—that credit belongs to Director Pink and Director SA.
Meanwhile, Jzyno’s “Mood” winning Music Video of the Year is questionable. Yes, it is clean and visually appealing, but it looks like a typical Ghanaian, Nigerian, or South African set piece—nothing with distinctive Liberian identity or cinematic depth.
Compare that to Sayou Tequah Jr.’s brilliant work on Boifatty’s “Gana Gana.”
The location, casting, scripting, costumes, and cinematography created a visual narrative that elevated the song into a short film. Every lyric was expressed cinematically without forcing the viewer to interpret the storyline.
It was world-class work—Liberian-made and visually unforgettable. Sayou and Boifatty should have taken both categories, hands down.
A clean video is not enough. Music videos must translate the texture, story, and energy of the song. Liberia must outgrow awarding visuals simply because they feature women dancing or because they mimic foreign trends.
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