Management of Nii Funny raises issue of ‘unfairness’ with the VGMA

The annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) is one prestigious scheme but it comes with its own shortcomings; simply put, it is not perfect – www.entertainmentgh.com can state brazenly.

Management of musician, Nii Funny, Lyrics & More; have raised grave concerns with some procedures of the VGMA and they acted professionally by not throwing tantrums on social media or kicking a fuss on radio – but put all their concerns in a letter, which has duly been presented to the organizers of the awards – Charterhouse Ghana.

This portal www.entertainmentgh.com was able to get the letter and in it, Management of the ‘Yoko Ebreaki’ singer, who is also a nominee for ‘Best New Artiste’, spoke about how only one nominee in the ‘Best New Artiste’ category has been given an advantage over his contenders – a situation which seems unfair!

They wrote;

“For instance, we observed that the category of ‘Best New Artiste’, has some eight (8) nominees but on the nominees unveiling night, just one was CHOSEN among the lot and given the platform of the organizers of the awards to perform, do some promotion and boost chances of earning votes.

We observed again that for the nominees jam held in Sunyani over the weekend, organizers of the award scheme, in what could certainly not have been a ‘strange coincidence’ SINGLED OUT the same nominee from among the eight competing for ‘Best New Artiste’ and gave the person the platform to perform to tens of thousands of music lovers who have the power to vote.

This comes with free public advertisement, free public promotion and free publicity for JUST ONE NOMINEE in the middle of such a highly competitive contest which relies heavily on public votes.

Indeed performers at the nominees jam were asked by the organizers to campaign for votes at the event by mentioning their respective short codes to the crowd and calling for public votes for themselves.

We have also observed a promotional video apparently done by the organizers of the award for the same nominee.”

Although the Management team, lead by revered journalist, Halifax Ansah-Addo, did not mention the name of that ‘one nominee’ in the letter, it is not rocket science for www.entertainmentgh.com to decipher that, the artist in question is – Medikal.

The website can also report that, Charterhouse Ghana has taken receipt of the letter, and may acknowledge and respond to some of the concerns raised in due time.

Below is the unedited letter presented by Lyrics & More;

Monday March 13, 2017

The VGMA Board,

Charterhouse Productions Limited, Accra.

CONCERNS

Lyrics & More, the management team of Nii Funny – a nominee for this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) – firstly would appreciate and applaud the VGMA Board for the work it has done over the years to make the annual music awards scheme a festival of music and entertainment respected across the continent.

We are however of the opinion that there are a few issues which could be handled better to enhance fairness, equity and equal treatment for all nominees so as to prevent a perception of bias to the advantage or otherwise of any nominee.

It is a fact that the VGMA has adopted a three-tier voting system for most of its categories with the public having as much as 40 percent influence on the votes. This means nominees have no choice but to rely on the general public to solicit for votes.

The playing field becomes uneven when organizers of the highly competitive awards give SOME nominees free public advertisement, free public promotion and free publicity in the middle of such a highly competitive contest which relies heavily on public votes.

For instance, we observed that the category of ‘Best New Artiste’, has some eight (8) nominees but on the nominees unveiling night, just one was CHOSEN among the lot and given the platform of the organizers of the awards to perform, do some promotion and boost chances of earning votes.

We observed again that for the nominees jam held in Sunyani over the weekend, organizers of the award scheme, in what could certainly not have been a ‘strange coincidence’ SINGLED OUT the same nominee from among the eight competing for ‘Best New Artiste’ and gave the person the platform to perform to tens of thousands of music lovers who have the power to vote.

This comes with free public advertisement, free public promotion and free publicity for JUST ONE NOMINEE in the middle of such a highly competitive contest which relies heavily on public votes.

Indeed performers at the nominees jam were asked by the organizers to campaign for votes at the event by mentioning their respective short codes to the crowd and calling for public votes for themselves.

We have also observed a promotional video apparently done by the organizers of the award for the same nominee.

It is significant to note that in previous years, ‘coincidentally’, nominees who get favored with a promotional video by the organizers, almost always emerge as winners of their categories.

These and other instances are clear examples where decisions of the VGMA Board has a potential of creating doubts on the fair and equal treatment of all nominees. The absence of clarity fuels speculation, suspicion and mistrust.

It is our hope that the VGMA Board would provide some explanation to assure us that so far, the issues we have raised have no bases and that all nominees have been given an equal and fair treatment and avenues of promotion and public advertisement.

We once again wish the organizers, the Board and all nominees the best of luck.

Sincerely yours,

-Signed-

Halifax Ansah-Addo

(Artiste Manager)

+233 2 241 86 444