Shadrack Ng’ang’a, popularly known as Shaddyverz, has emerged the overall winner of Safaricom’s Game Iko On songwriting competition, earning an opportunity to have his composition produced as the official theme song for the S-Hook musical.
Ng’ang’a was announced the winner during the S-Hook Musical Songwriters’ Finale held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Michael Joseph Centre, Safaricom headquarters in Nairobi.
As part of his prize, he received KSh30,000, 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 creativity to a wider audience.
The competition attracted more than 500 aspiring songwriters from across the country, providing a platform for emerging musicians to demonstrate their songwriting abilities and creativity.
Out of the applicants, 16 finalists were selected to participate in the S-Hook musical, contributing original compositions and different musical perspectives to the production.
The selected songwriters 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, providing them with devices to support their creative journeys and keep them connected as they pursue opportunities in the music industry.
The competition also recognised 11 outstanding songwriters, including Shaddyverz, Ntinyari, Samuel, Elly Shua, Shazzy B, Saisa Ndabi, Malosh, Mell Baron, FTG, Emmanuel and Kori.
Speaking after his victory, Ng’ang’a said winning the competition was 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 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 announcement of the winner.
Speaking during the event, Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawziah Ali Kimanthi said the initiative was designed to give young creatives an opportunity 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 noted that 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 strengthen Kenya’s creative economy by supporting emerging talent and providing platforms where young people can turn their interests and abilities into meaningful opportunities.
The S-Hook musical songwriting competition forms part of the company’s broader efforts to empower young creatives through music, video and digital entertainment.