Veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey died on 26th August 2026 at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra. She was 89.
Born on 1st February 1937, Nortey built a career that stretched more than five decades across radio, theatre, television and film. She earned the nickname Maame Gyata for the fierce, outspoken matriarchs she played on screen and stage. She is survived by five children, including actress Sheila Nortey. Her husband, Daniel Nortey, predeceased her.
News of her death at UGMC in the early hours of 26th August 2026 spread quickly across Ghanaian media. Graphic Online, MyJoyOnline and other outlets confirmed the location and date. No public details on the exact cause have been released by the family or the facility.
Nortey marked her 89th birthday on 1st February 2026. A video from that private family celebration later circulated online, showing a lighter moment with one of her daughters. In her later years she scaled back physically demanding roles because of mobility and eyesight challenges, yet she remained open to smaller parts that allowed improvisation.
Her early work included hosting the Ga-language radio talk show Nyeawokoshie on Radio One in the 1970s, aimed at empowering women. She moved into stage productions and then screen. Her first major film role came in the 1986 comedy Juju, produced by King Ampaw and Peter Wohlgemuth-Reinery, where she played opposite Joe Eyison.
She became a regular presence in the golden era of Ghanaian television drama. Audiences saw her in Obra, Osofo Dadzie, Key Soap Concert Party, Cantata, Taxi Driver and Thursday Theatre. Film credits that followed include Nana Akoto, The Other Side of the Rich, Escape to Love, Matters of the Heart, Expectations, Jewels, Ties That Bind and Sinking Sands, in which she played Grandma. In 2015 she appeared in the Netflix film Beasts of No Nation, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Idris Elba and Abraham Attah, as the Old Witch Woman.
Industry recognition included Best Cameo Actress at the Ghana Movie Awards in 2011, Excellence in Arts at the Glitz Women of the Year Honours in 2016, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Star International Film Festival in 2018, and further honours from the Ghana Actors Entertainment Awards and 3Music Awards Women’s Brunch.
Tributes arrived quickly. Former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia described her on X as a true trailblazer and cultural icon whose work spanned over five decades and inspired women in the creative arts. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin recalled her motherly roles that shaped how a generation of Ghanaians viewed strong women on screen. Actors including Jackie Appiah and Ama K. Abebrese added personal notes of thanks for her example and mentorship.
An older interview clip resurfaced in which actor Mr Beautiful recounted a 2022 visit by then-former President John Mahama to Nortey’s Accra home. According to the account, she told Mahama she was waiting for him to return to the presidency because she wanted him to bury her. The clip, originally recorded for Showbiz 360 on TV3, gained fresh circulation after her death.
Nortey’s career bridged the radio and theatre traditions of the 1970s with the television boom of the 1980s and 1990s and later international productions. She consistently urged younger actors to pursue formal training, arguing that academic preparation strengthened the craft. Her daughter Sheila Nortey continued the family line into acting, and her grandson is married to broadcaster Berla Mundi.
As of 28th August 2026, funeral arrangements have not been announced by the family. The entertainment community continues to mark the close of a career that helped define Ghanaian screen storytelling for multiple generations.
