Organisers Surprised At Criticism Over MTN Music Awards

By Stephen K. Effah
Saturday, 17 May 2008

The organisers of the annual MTN Ghana Music Awards Festival, Charter House, have expressed surprise at the criticism and allegation by the public that it influenced the results of this year’s awards.

"We were not privy to whatever results that were announced…so we were surprised at what people were saying about who should have won what" on the night of the awards ceremony, Theresa Ayaode, the Executive Director, stated on Tuesday.

Addressing the media at a ceremony to present the cash component of the prize to the award
winners, Mrs. Ayoade noted that her organisation had no hand in the results of the awards which was presented to them on the night of the awards on stage.

A section of the media and the public have after the awards night on April 25, questioned the credibility of some of the awards categories, especially the Best Female Vocal Performance and Record Label of the Year won by Irene and Jane, and Kwaw Kesse’s Mad Time Entertainment respectively.

She pointed out that the results of the awards were collated by KPMG, an independent event statistician, noting that the winners were voted for by the public, the selection committee and the planning committee.

"KPMG has a reputation to protect and will not do anything to tarnish its image," she noted, and urged all, especially the media, to be circumspect in their write ups and utterances regarding the awards.

Mrs.Ayaode said that while her organisation welcomes criticisms, such critiques should be "constructive", adding that persistent condemnation of the awards could have a negative effect on the festival since the main sponsors could pull out.

She commended all the committees, the title sponsor, MTN and the media for their various support that made the awards ceremony a success.

Commenting on the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industries’ boycott, she said that although she received the boycott letter, it came a few hours to the event and there was nothing they could have done.

She said Charter House has written to them to acknowledge receipt of their letter, and requested a meeting with the GAPI to discuss their grievances put forward in the letter with the view to addressing them.

In all, each of the award winners was given GH¢ 1,000. Kwaw Kesse, who won the ultimate award of Artiste of the Year was given an additional GH¢ 3,000.