‘Samini has never won VGMA’s ultimate award before’

Finally the Public Relations officer of Charter house George Quaye, has confirmed to your authoritative Flex Newspaper that Samini has never won VGMA’s ultimate award of the year, contrary to some assertions by some people.

This particular issue has been argued out by most Ghanaians as to whether Samani has or has not won the ultimate award of the year in the Ghana Music Award before. For this reason, your reliable Flex newspaper took it upon itself to investigate into this issue to set the records straight as to who is right or wrong.

First of all, we checked from the official website of Ghana Music Awards on the www.ghanamusicawards.com and this is the list they put out for their overall artiste of the year award since the inception for the awards scheme: in 2000-Daddy Lumba, in 2001 – Kojo Antwi, in 2002 – Lord Kenya, in 2003 – Kontihene, in 2004 – VIP, in 2005 – Obour, in 2006 – Ofori Amponsah, in 2007 – Samini, in 2008 – Kwaw Kese, in 2009 – Okyeame Kwame, in 2010 – Sarkodie, in 2011 – VIP, in 2012 – Sarkodie, in 2013 – R2bees, in 2014 – Shatta Wale and In 2015 - Stonebwoy.

Even though Samini won artiste of the year award in 2007, it is on record that from 2000 to that particular year, the ultimate award of the night was even to the artiste who picked the Most Popular Song of the year award. The top most awards changed to Artiste of the year in 2008.

If that is the case, then the public perception that Samini was the ultimate award winner in 2007 is not true because in 2007, it was King Ayisoba who won that category with the most Popular Song of the year with his ‘I Want To See You My Father’ and that automatically makes Ayisoba the winner of the ultimate award in 2007.

When we spoke to King Ayisoba to also check from his end whether he has won the ultimate award ever in GMA before and whether he is aware of this argument that Samini won the 2007 GMA overall award, he had this to say: “Yes, I won it in 2007 with the song I want to see you my Father. And who said, Samini won it? It is not true. Samini has never won it before. I won three awards on that night including the Most Popular Song of the Year,” King Ayisoba.

We didn’t end our research there, we called Tony Pun who is the manager of Samini to find out if they also had it in their archives that Samini had ever won the VGMA ultimate award of the year and this is what he told this reporter: “Ooooh yes, he has won it before, why should you ask this kind of question bro/ this is below the belt. Go and check from the internet and see, it is everywhere. Samini has won it before. Boss, you guys should do your research well before y ou call me. Thank you.” Tony Pun stated and cut the line.

This reporter again called George Quaye who is the public Relations Officer for Charter house, the organizers of the award, for his response on this issue, and he admitted to the fact that most popular song of the year was the top most award of the year until it was changed in 2008. So, in 2007, Samini won the Artiste of the year award but it was not the top most award of the year. In 2007, King Ayisoba was the one who won the topmost award.

In that case, corrections should be made immediately by all media houses who have ever broadcasted or published that Samini won the ultimate award of the year in 2007.