Perez Musik defends Gospel musicians competing for awards

Perez Musik has said “I don't see anything wrong” with Gospel musicians competing with their fellows or secular acts, and receiving awards thereafter.

He compared receiving awards to writing exams for promotions and certificates in school, arguing that anyone who opposes awards “should have also intentionally failed their school exams”.

The Hewale Lala hitmaker noted, that while the work of a Gospel musician “is very spiritual,” it is equally, and essentially, “interpreted in the physical”.

He said the message of a Gospel musician cannot be received “if it remains only spiritual with no physical channel – which is the music – for carrying the spirit”.

Once, it is expressed physically, he insinuated, it is subject to physical actions, particularly judgments, which is the idea behind awards.

“If man, who is listening to the music, thinks that this music is well produced, this artiste has put in good work, so we want to award him, I don’t see anything wrong with it,” he buttressed.

What is unhealthy, and “wrong,” he submitted, is “when it [awards] become your focus as an artiste”.

“If you only go to the studio to record music to win awards, I’d say, your focus is wrong,” the record producer said.

Awards “are by-products, add-ons – they are beautiful and complement efforts,” the singer-songwriter added, strongly stressing, however, that for a Gospel artiste, “the main calling is the salvation of souls, the encouragement people and the upliftment of hearts”.

He spoke on Entertainment Capital, on Saturday, September 16, 2023, on Accra 100.5 FM, with sit-in host Prince Benjamin (PB).

At the 2023 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, Perez Musik bagged trophies for Songwriter of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.