This King Promise biography follows the Ghanaian singer born Gregory Bortey Newman from Nungua, in Accra, to the top of Ghana's music awards. Over three albums he has blended highlife, Afropop and R&B, and in May 2025 he was named Artiste of the Year at the Telecel Ghana Music Awards. Here is what is on the record, with sources.

Quick Answer: King Promise, born Gregory Bortey Newman on 16 August 1995, grew up in Nungua, Accra. He has released three albums, As Promised (2019), 5 Star (2022) and True to Self (2024), and won Artiste of the Year at the 26th Telecel Ghana Music Awards in May 2025.

King Promise, Ghanaian Afrobeats and highlife singer
King Promise, the Ghanaian singer from Nungua.

Early life and background

Most sources give King Promise's birth date as 16 August 1995, in Accra, and say he grew up in Nungua, a coastal community in the city. His name, Gregory Bortey Newman, appears in profiles such as the one on Vocal Media. He has kept his private life out of the press, so this profile sticks to his music and career.

Career and breakthrough

King Promise rose through the Accra music scene in the mid-2010s and became known for smooth, melodic vocals over Afrobeats and highlife rhythms. "CCTV", a collaboration with Sarkodie and Mugeez, became one of his best known songs. Later hits such as "Terminator" kept him on Ghanaian playlists and gave him international reach.

Albums: As Promised, 5 Star and True to Self

  • As Promised (2019): his debut album, with Wizkid among its collaborators.
  • 5 Star (2022): his second album, with features from artists across Africa and beyond.
  • True to Self (June 2024): his third album, released through 5K Records and Sony Music Entertainment UK, with a deluxe edition in December 2024, according to TheCable.

2025 Telecel Ghana Music Awards

King Promise led the 26th Telecel Ghana Music Awards with 10 nominations. At the ceremony on 10 May 2025 at the Accra International Conference Centre, he won four awards, according to the Ghana News Agency:

  • Artiste of the Year, beating Stonebwoy, King Paluta, Team Eternity, Kweku Smoke, Black Sherif and Joe Mettle.
  • Album/EP of the Year, for True to Self.
  • Best Afrobeats/Afropop Artiste.
  • Best Afropop Song, for "Paris".

For the history of the awards and how the categories work, see our TGMA guide.

Why King Promise matters

King Promise is a clear example of a Ghanaian artist reaching an international audience while staying rooted in local sound and Accra's community. His work sits beside the generation shaping Ghanaian youth culture, and next to peers such as King Paluta and Shatta Wale.