VGMA controversy: Charterhouse to release details this week

Charterhouse Productions, organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), has pledged to publish details of the voting pattern for all the artistes that competed in the various categories of the Awards.

Head of Communications at Charterhouse, George Quaye hopes the details, which would be made public latest this Wednesday, would clear the controversy surrounding the Song of the Year category, which was won by Fancy Gadam with his ‘Total Cheat’.

Voting for the category was split into three- VGMA Academy (30%), VGMA Board (30%) and Public (40%)- with the greater share left for the voting public to decide which song was most popular during the year.

The late sensational Afropop singer, Ebony Reigns, won the Artiste of the Year, making her the first female to win the award in the 19-year history of the VGMA and the first to win it posthumously.

Read:

But Patapaa, one of the 12 artistes –including Shata Wale, Ebony Reigns, etc- whose songs contended for the Song of the Year category, is upset his popular ‘One Corner’ song whose popularity transcended the shores of Ghana, did not win the slot.

An angry Patapaa walked out of the auditorium as soon as 'Total Cheat' by Fancy Gadam was announced as the Song of the Year 2018.

The Swedru-based musician told JoyNews in an interview he had been robbed of the award, alleging that voting was influenced by money.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Monday, George Quaye explained, one must perform well in the public votes plus a good showing in the voting of either of the remaining two -VGMA Academy or VGMA Board-  to win the tightly contested category.

He said each of the 12 songs in the category had the potential to win and urged aggrieved Patapaa to work hard next time.

“I do acknowledge where Patapaa is coming from but I will only encourage him to let it go,” Mr. Quaye told Show host, Daniel Dadzie.

George Quaye

Mr. Quaye, however, was disappointed that some of the artistes failed to publicise among their fans, the artwork designed for the various categories they were contending in.

“Even if that activity doesn’t win an award for you, it makes you very popular,” he noted.

According to him, the controversies after the awards “are always normal.” He expressed “general satisfaction” at the organisation of Saturday night's event.

He anticipates an improved VGMA next year, the 20th since its inception, at a much spacious venue than the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), which is unable to accommodate the ever-increasing number of patrons each year.