VGMA ban lifting: Here’s why these four celebrities are ‘fighting’ the board

Following VGMA’s decision to lift the ban on Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale’s participation in VGMA’s, the scheme has come under attack from some industry stakeholders.

Organizers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards on February 15, 2021, officially lifted its ban on Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy ahead of the 2021 edition of the event.

The board in its official statement agreed to make the two dancehall artistes eligible to participate in this and subsequent editions of the VGMA if they so desire.

But some critics have shared similar views suggesting that it is in the right interest for the board to inform the two dancehall artistes of their decision before making a public announcement.

One of the artistes has gone as far as pulling out of the scheme and anything that has to do with it.

With that being said, let’s look at why these industry stakeholders that have criticized VGMA following its ban lifting decision

Shatta Wale

VGMA’s ban lifting decision has infuriated Shatta Wale so much so that the musician has launched series of attacks at the scheme.

Shatta Wale who earlier announced his decision not to participate in the Awards scheme in 2019 has again launched fresh attacks at the organizers during an interview with Onua FM.

To him, it appears the awards scheme does not respect them as major stakeholders in the entertainment industry hence his decision to pull out of it.

Bulldog

Shatta Wale’s manager, Bulldog has also described as ‘nonsense’ the VGMAs board decision to lift the ban placed on the two dancehall artistes, adding that their pronouncement cannot avert the emotional trauma his artiste went through when he was arrested and was asked to make appearances in court.

He labelled as ‘daft’ the board’s decision to lift the ban without prior notice to the management of the artistes.



Stonebwoy

The dancehall artiste took to Twitter on February 15, 2021, to vent what he described as VGMA’s wrong choice of words in their press statement written to announce the lifting of the ban.

To him, the VGMA board met with them before taking the decision two years ago and as such, should have done the same before lifting the ban.

Dear VGMA Board & Scheme organisers,I hear the purpose of the VGMA is to celebrate and project Ghanaian musicians and music.If that is so, it takes nothing from you to meet with us the artistes/ our reps b4 reaching decisions that affect us and communicating them to the public. pic.twitter.com/4hnx7irqVE

— 1GAD (@stonebwoyb) February 17, 2021

According to Hammer, the VGMA board goofed in its decision to publicly announce the ban lifting without meeting the management of both artistes.

He said the two dancehall artistes, considering their level of importance in the entertainment industry, should be duly informed before any public announcement should be made.