Two-time Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) Artiste of the Year, Sarkodie, has congratulated dancehall artiste Stonebwoy on winning the topmost award at this year’s event.

In a congratulatory message, Sarkodie, born Michael Owusu Addo, said even though they were both competing for the same award, Stonebwoy’s win is well deserved.

Reggae and dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, born Livingstone Etse Satekla was crowned Artiste of the Year at the 16th edition of the VGMA at Accra International Conference Centre Saturday night.

The artiste beat off stiff competition from Sarkodie, Daddy Lumba, Guru, Edem, MzVee, and Samini to win the award.

Apart from the Artiste of the Year award, Stonebwoy also walked away with two other awards – Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year and the Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year for his song Baafira.

Sarkodie, who featured in Stonebwoy’s hit track, ‘Baafira’, said on Twitter: “Congratulations to the Bhim Nation General @stonebwoyb !!!!! Well deserved…. Way3 adwuma”.

Winning the coveted award at the 2010 and 2012 editions of awards, Sarkodie did not attend this year’s event.

His absence was attributed to a fracas with organizers of the awards, Charterhouse, over performance fee and the use of his name pre-event adverts without a contract with him.

Charterhouse was forced to render an unqualified apology to the Tema-based rapper for advertising him as one of the performers for the awards.

The events outfit explained that, the addition of the artiste’s name to the list of performers for the awards night was due to an error.

Sarkodie, who had received nominations in 11 categories, opted to be in James Town, a suburb of Accra, to support dancehall artiste and last year’s Artiste of the Year winner Shatta Wale’s Mixtape Beach Party.

Shatta Wale did not receive any nomination in this year’s awards.

Even though he was not in attendance, Sarkodie won Hiplife/Hip Hop Artiste of the Year, Best Collaboration and Vodafone Song of the Year.