Ghanaian entertainment critic and creative entrepreneur, Kwaku Osei Korankye Asiedu, popularly known as KOKA, has criticised the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), describing the event as repetitive and lacking innovation.
Analysing the recently held awards on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Monday, May 11, KOKA said the scheme has failed to evolve into a platform that creates lasting economic value for Ghana’s creative industry.
“It’s the same thing over and over,” he said when asked why he did not attend this year’s awards ceremony.
According to him, the awards have become predictable to the point where winners can almost be forecast “like betting.”
“You can sit down and predict like the way now we do the betting for football,” he stated.
KOKA argued that while Ghana’s creative arts sector contributes significantly to the economy, major events like the TGMA are not being properly leveraged to create sustainable business opportunities for industry players.
“What is the economic value of TGMA?” he questioned repeatedly during the interview.
He said organisers must move beyond simply hosting an annual entertainment show and deliberately create opportunities for fashion designers, makeup artists, dancers, shoemakers, stage designers and other creatives.
“How many of the designers who designed dresses, costumes, got exposure?” he asked.
“We need to be deliberate in making people. That means you’ve created a business for that gentleman because people will go there for their stuff.”
KOKA also criticised what he described as weak planning and poor execution surrounding the awards.
“An award that, a week to the awards, they didn’t even know the venue they were going to organise it,” he said, referring to the venue changes ahead of the event.
He rated the overall production “below standard,” adding that Ghana cannot expect its artistes to compete internationally if local award shows fail to meet global standards.
“We give this shallow and shoddy outlook and then we expect our artistes to go to Grammy and other awards,” he stated.
According to him, Ghana’s creative industry lacks proper data systems and policy direction, making it difficult to attract investment.
“Today, I don’t even know how much we generated in terms of revenue in the creative space in Ghana in 2025. Nobody knows,” he said.
KOKA called for a public-private partnership model where government, musicians, event organisers and private investors work together under a governing board to develop the awards and the wider creative industry.
“It should be a board that owns it and it should reflect both the private, the musicians and everybody,” he suggested.
He also proposed expanding the awards into a broader creative fair that incorporates fashion, food, dance and tourism.
“We need to create memories. Entertainment, creative business, it’s purely about memories,” he said.
Despite his criticism, KOKA acknowledged some standout moments from this year’s event, particularly performances from Black Sherif, Wendy Shay and gospel artistes.
He singled out Black Sherif as “the face of Ghana music” because of his growing international appeal.
KOKA also used the interview to push for stronger investment in youth talent development through dance competitions, regional events and digital creative platforms.
“The creative arts, tourism, culture is the way to go because that is what every kid wants to do,” he said.
