The African Public Service Optimum Awards 2025 opened with a burst of culture and excitement as African Dance Rhythms took over the stage with a performance that immediately energized the entire hall. Guests were welcomed with vibrant drumbeats, bold choreography, and colourful traditional costumes that turned the ceremony’s entrance moment into a full cultural celebration. Their performance blended heritage and contemporary movement in a way that kept the audience glued to the stage, setting a lively tone for the rest of the night.
The awards ceremony, held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, was one of the year’s most anticipated gatherings celebrating excellence in public service across Africa. Even though the event focused on honouring outstanding individuals and institutions, the entertainment element brought by African Dance Rhythms reminded everyone that African creativity remains unmatched. Their appearance added warmth, excitement, and a touch of glamour to what is typically a formal and prestigious night.
The ceremony drew an impressive lineup of dignitaries, diplomats, and notable personalities. Among the distinguished guests was Hon. Dr. Ken Kwame Kwaku, the Honorary Consul for Tanzania in Accra, whose presence added a diplomatic shine to the evening.
Institutional heads, award nominees, and invited officials all enjoyed a perfect blend of official recognition and cultural entertainment, creating a balanced atmosphere of prestige and celebration.
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The performance by African Dance Rhythms stood out as one of the most memorable moments of the night. It reminded attendees of the power of African art to tell stories, command attention, and elevate important events. Their rhythmic display brought excitement, pride, and a sense of unity to the ceremony, leaving guests with an experience that was both entertaining and culturally uplifting.
African Dance Rhythms is a Ghana-based ensemble that brings traditional African drumming, dance, and storytelling to life through performances and workshops. They showcase authentic Ghanaian rhythms such as Kete, Adowa, Kpanlogo, and Agbadza, often engaging audiences with interactive drumming and dance experiences. Their mission is to preserve and share African cultural heritage while creating joyful, immersive experiences for schools, festivals, and global audiences.
Ghanaian musician Emperor T-Jiga has added another major international honour to his career after winning Best Diaspora Afrobeat Artist of the Year at the 2026 Ghana Music Awards Europe in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The recognition comes after years of creating music that blends Afrobeat, highlife, hiplife, hip hop and other African musical influences while connecting audiences in Ghana and the diaspora.
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For Emperor T-Jiga, the award is a reflection of a musical journey that has produced a catalogue of songs including Kilode, Yeloi, Sugar, Super Star, Pretty Jeniki, Saka Saka and Fine Fine Lady. His music has continued to showcase his versatility as a singer, songwriter, performer, drummer, producer and teaching artist.
One of the records that has played an important role in his recent recognition is Super Star, featuring Bepor Keddi and Cabrinny Gh. The song previously earned Emperor T-Jiga the Hiplife and Hip Hop Song of the Year award at the 2025 Ghana Music Awards USA, giving him another major milestone within the Ghanaian diaspora music community.
His catalogue, however, extends beyond Super Star.
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Kilode, featuring Young Freezy, became another important record in his career and won Best International Collaboration at the 2022 Ghana Music Awards USA. The song also received a nomination for US Based Afropop Song of the Year.
Yeloi, featuring Kotey Another and Nii Funny, further demonstrated his ability to work across different sounds and collaborators. The song was nominated for Best Music Video of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards USA.
In 2023, Emperor T-Jiga released Sugar, a record influenced by the sounds of African music pioneers including Osibisa and Fela Kuti. The song was subsequently nominated for Afropop/Afrobeat Song of the Year at the 2024 Ghana Music Awards USA.
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His more recent work has continued to expand his musical identity. Awula Feefeo has been featured among his recent releases, while his official YouTube catalogue also includes Fine Fine Lady.
Beyond his recordings, Emperor T-Jiga’s musical background gives further context to his sound. He is also an accomplished drummer, dancer, producer and music educator, with a career that has involved African music and cultural education in the United States. His work with the Akwaaba Ensemble has also allowed him to combine performance, education and cultural preservation.
That combination of musicianship and cultural identity has become an important part of Emperor T-Jiga’s artistic journey. His music does not simply seek to entertain but also draws from African rhythms, experiences and influences while presenting them to audiences in the diaspora.
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His latest achievement in Düsseldorf therefore represents another step in a career that has consistently crossed geographical and musical boundaries.
Winning Best Diaspora Afrobeat Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards Europe places Emperor T-Jiga among the artistes helping to carry Ghanaian music and African sounds into international spaces.
As the celebrations continue, the award adds another significant chapter to his story and provides further momentum for an artiste whose music, performances and cultural work continue to reach audiences beyond Ghana.