Fameye is a Highlife singer/songwriter
Popular Ghanaian singer and rapper, Fameye has said he and other Ghanaian musicians owe the organisers of the Ghana Music Awards, Charterhouse, an apology for undermining their efforts at recognizing music achievements in Ghana.
He said some GMA award winners had ignored the importance of the music honours because they were not as prestigious as international awards like BET or the Grammys.
The Ghana Music Awards, formerly known as Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, is the biggest music awards scheme in the country and has been recognising musicians and music industry players annually for over two decades.
However, in recent years, some musicians have downplayed the relevance of the scheme, as they sought more recognition and validation from international awards, especially the BETs and the Grammys, to prove their talent and influence among their peers.
It has also faced a lot of criticism for many years, with some musicians even dismissing its impact.
But in a recent interview with Graphic Showbiz, the 2020 VGMA New Artiste of the Year said he and his colleagues need to apologise to Charterhouse for not appreciating the awards enough.
According to him, the preference for foreign products over local ones has led to the condemnation of the GMAs in recent years by industry players.
“There’s always the tendency to favour foreign products over local ones and that has translated into the condemnation of the GMAs in recent years.
“It’s as if it is not worth winning the VGMA anymore and that until you grab a BET or Grammy, you are not a big or talented artiste enough. I have been there before, there was a time I badly wanted to win a BET award but what’s the point, if you are not duly honoured in your home,” he quizzed.
He said he would be happy to win international awards, but he would be happier to win awards at the Ghana Music Awards.
He added that it was important for Ghanaians to start supporting and valuing their own more.
“While winning international awards would bring me joy, I'd be even happier to win accolades such as Songwriter of the Year, Record of the Year, or Artiste of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards. It's important for us to start supporting and valuing ours more. And that is why I apologise to my fans and to Charterhouse for not placing much significance on VGMAs.
“The Ghana Music Awards is undoubtedly the premier award scheme in our music industry. Despite almost overlooking their significance in my earlier years, I now hold them in higher esteem than any other awards scheme,” he said.
ID/ ADG
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