Kwaw Kese has once again raised eyebrows over what he calls the “politicization” of Ghana’s music award schemes, claiming that favoritism and financial influence have diluted genuine recognition.
The rapper revisited his experience at the 2023 Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), where his song Awoyo Sofo was nominated for Hip-Hop Song of the Year but lost.
“That award was supposed to be mine,” Kwaw insisted. “Awoyo Sofo was bigger than all the songs in that category. Little kids were even playing it. But this industry is politics. If you don’t play along, they cut you off.”
He argued that the current award system values popularity and votes over artistic excellence.
“People can buy votes. I’ve seen it happen. Someone can buy 10,000 votes and win. So what happens to the artist who deserves it but doesn’t have money to buy votes?” he questionedDuring his Hitz FM interview which was monitored by MyNewsGh.
The “Abodam” star called for reforms to ensure fairness, hinting that some board members have conflicts of interest.
“Some people on the board are managers of artists. How do you expect transparency in such a setup?” he asked.
Despite the alleged politics, Kwaw said he remains unshaken and proud of his influence on the streets.
“They can keep Accra and their awards. When we go to the hinterlands, that’s where you’ll see who really commands the crowd,” he said.
“I still charge higher than most of the new guys because I perform for two hours straight — that’s real artistry.”
