The Artist of the Year award at the Liberia Music Awards (MLMA) sits at the top of the country’s music awards hierarchy. Unlike genre-specific categories, the award is open to artists across Liberia’s diverse music landscape and recognizes the act judged to have made the biggest overall impact during the eligibility period.
Since the awards began in 2014, only five rappers have captured the coveted title: Scientific, Bucky Raw, Kpanto, Nuchie Meek and King Dennis.
Their victories came in different eras and under very different circumstances, but each rapper left his mark on the Liberian music scene before taking home the biggest individual prize.
Scientific — 2014
Scientific became the first rapper to win MLMA Artist of the Year when the awards were launched in 2014.
The inaugural ceremony was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 14, 2014. Scientific was competing against a broad field of 12 nominees for Artist of the Year, including Jodi, David Mell, Sundaygar Dearboy, Tru Storry, Munnah, Kanvee Adams, Fatu Gayflor, Saga AP, Soul Fresh, Takun J and Bernice Blackie.
Scientific’s victory was particularly significant because he did not just win the overall award. He also captured Hip Hop Artist of the Year, making him one of the major winners of the inaugural ceremony. Contemporary records from the awards list Scientific as the Artist of the Year and Hip Hop Artist of the Year.
His 2014 victory established the precedent for a rapper to take Liberia’s top music honor, years before the other three rappers on this list would accomplish the same feat.
Bucky Raw — 2019
Five years after Scientific’s historic win, Bucky Raw became the second rapper to claim the Artist of the Year title.
Raw’s victory came at the 2019 MTN Liberia Music Awards, where he was also recognized for his work as a leading figure in Liberia’s rap and Trapco movement.
The 2019 ceremony was held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Monrovia. Bucky Raw was named Artist of the Year, while he and Stunna also won Video of the Year for “Thank You.”
The victory came during a period when Bucky Raw had become one of the most prominent Liberian rappers in the diaspora and at home. His CS2 project had already attracted significant attention, and he was also nominated for Artist of the Year in the 2019 awards cycle.
His win put another rapper at the center of Liberia’s mainstream music conversation and reinforced rap’s ability to compete for the country’s highest individual music honor.
Kpanto — 2021
Kpanto became the third rapper to win MLMA Artist of the Year, taking the award at the 2021 MTN Liberia Music Awards.
Kpanto entered the ceremony as one of the biggest contenders, leading all nominees with 10 nominations, including the coveted Artist of the Year category. He was competing against Eric Geso, MC Caro, Natif and Nuchie Meek.
He ultimately turned his nominations into one of the strongest performances of the night.
Kpanto won Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Hipco/Trapco Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Sound From the Xtreetz, and other awards, making him the biggest winner of the 2021 ceremony. Contemporary coverage from Music In Africa specifically describes Kpanto as the biggest winner of the previous year’s MLMAs and confirms his Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year and Hipco/Trapco Artist of the Year victories.
His 2021 triumph was another major moment for Liberian rap, particularly Hipco and Trapco. Kpanto managed to dominate both the genre-specific categories and the overall Artist of the Year race.
Nuchie Meek — 2023
Nuchie Meek became the third rapper to win MLMA Artist of the Year when he took the honor at the 2023 MTN Liberia Music Awards.
And he did not leave the ceremony with just one trophy.
Meek emerged as the biggest winner of the night, taking home Artist of the Year as well as Male Artist of the Year, Hipco/Trapco Artist of the Year and Hipco/Trapco Song of the Year.
He won the top prize over fellow nominees JZyNo, MC Caro, Fazari, CIC and J Slught.
The victory represented a major moment for Liberian Hipco and Trapco. Meek’s success showed that a rapper working firmly within Liberia’s indigenous rap tradition could not only dominate the genre categories but also take the overall Artist of the Year award.
His 2023 performance remains one of the strongest single-night showings by a Liberian rapper at the MLMA, considering the number of major categories he won.
King Dennis — 2025
The most recent rapper to join the exclusive club is King Dennis.
King Dennis won Artist of the Year at the 2025 MLMA, becoming the fourth rapper to claim the award since the ceremony’s inception. The official MLMA results confirm his victory over nominees including CIC, JBoy De Prophet, JZyNo, MC Caro and Will Flash.
His victory was part of a major night for the rapper. King Dennis also won Male Artist of the Year and Hipco/Trapco Artist of the Year, giving him three major individual awards.
His rise is particularly notable because King Dennis had previously been recognized as one of the emerging names in Liberian music. By 2025, he had moved from being a new-generation contender to taking the biggest award on the MLMA stage.
A rare club in Liberian music
Scientific, Bucky Raw, Nuchie Meek and King Dennis represent four different periods in Liberian rap.
Scientific opened the door in 2014.
Bucky Raw claimed the honor in 2019.
Kpanto took it too in 2021
Nuchie Meek took it in 2023.
King Dennis became the latest in 2025.
What makes the list notable is that only five rappers have managed to win the overall Artist of the Year award, despite the number of influential rappers who have emerged from Liberia over the years.
The five victories also span more than a decade of Liberian music history, from Scientific’s inaugural-era win in 2014 to King Dennis’ victory in 2025.
