Safaricom Announces Shaddyverz as S-Hook Musical Winner

Shadrack Ng’ang’a, popularly known as Shaddyverz, has emerged as the overall winner of Safaricom’s Game Iko On songwriting competition, earning KSh30,000 and an opportunity to have his composition produced as the official theme song for the S-Hook musical.

Ng’ang’a was announced as the winner during the S-Hook Musical Songwriters’ Finale held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Michael Joseph Centre, Safaricom headquarters in Nairobi.

In addition to the cash prize, he received a Safaricom 5G router and a Neon Smarter Phone. His winning composition will be developed into an official single and accompanied by a music video, giving him an opportunity to showcase his work to a wider audience.

The competition attracted more than 500 aspiring songwriters from across the country, providing a platform for emerging musicians to showcase their songwriting abilities and creativity.

From the applicants, 16 finalists were selected to contribute original compositions and different musical perspectives to the S-Hook musical. They included Bobi, Alison, Mellyn, Ronnie, Kori, Saisa, Shaddy, Elly, Ntinyari, FTG, Julie, Malosh, Shazzy, Samuel, Pogba and Emmanuel.

Each of the 16 finalists received a Neon Smarter Phone in recognition of their participation and talent.

The competition also recognised 11 outstanding songwriters: Shaddyverz, Ntinyari, Samuel, Elly Shua, Shazzy B, Saisa Ndabi, Malosh, Mell Baron, FTG, Emmanuel and Kori.

Speaking after his victory, Ng’ang’a described the win as an important milestone in his musical journey, expressing excitement about having his composition transformed into an official single and music video.

“Winning this competition means so much to me. Writing this song will be an opportunity to express myself through music and share a story that I hope people can connect with,” he said.

He added that being selected as the overall winner and having his composition produced as the musical’s official theme song was an incredible opportunity, thanking everyone who supported him throughout the journey.

The finale was streamed live and exclusively on Baze, Safaricom’s digital entertainment platform, allowing audiences beyond the Michael Joseph Centre to follow the performances and winner announcement.

Speaking during the event, Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawziah Ali Kimanthi said the initiative was designed to give young creatives opportunities to showcase their abilities, develop their skills and have their work heard by wider audiences.

“Kenya has so much creative talent, and it is important that we create opportunities for young people to share what they can do. Through Game Iko On and S-Hook, we wanted to give aspiring songwriters a platform to showcase their work, grow their skills and have their music heard,” she said.

Kimanthi said the passion and creativity demonstrated by the participants throughout the competition were encouraging, expressing hope that the experience would open more opportunities for them to pursue careers in the music industry.

She added that Safaricom remained committed to supporting young people by connecting them to opportunities through technology and initiatives that nurture their talents.

Through Game Iko On, Safaricom seeks to support emerging creatives and provide platforms where young people can turn their talents into meaningful opportunities. The S-Hook songwriting competition forms part of the company’s broader efforts to empower young creatives through music, video and digital entertainment.