Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of leading entertainment group, GB Interactive, cum entertainment critic, Mr. George Mensah Britton simply known within the Ghanaian entertainment ecosystem as, George Britton has revealed that, award scheme organizers ride on the mileage of popularly musician to make their earns.
According to the artiste manager, recording and performing musicians don’t achieve any financial gains from organizers of various award schemes world wide, in perspective, Ghana, as the artistes’ fans are compelled to purchase the award’s plaque through voting, a development he explains generate funds for the awards entity.
His assertions comes at the back of multiple awards winning reggae/dancehall and a BET Award winner, Stonebwoy highlighting certain disorders which is a possible canker and a threat to the performer and the creative arts, and culture industry. According to Living Etse Satekla who, in a tweet, quizzed that, why do fans have to pay to vote on top of data already paid for fo enable their favorite artiste win an award and also pay to attend the awards? And why are artistes obliged to use their own mileage to campaign for the awards on top. Who actually gains, organizers or artistes?
Meanwhile, speaking as a guest to host of “Show Bizness” entertainment review show on Zylofon Tv, Kwesi Essel, Mr. George Mensah Britton responding to the intellectual tweet stated that, awards show and scheme organizer reap the benefits, especially the revenue that is being generated after a successful event. He explained that, the organizers make their gains via public voting that is channeled through telecos and tickets that are purchased to witness the event.
He revealed that, technically, awards scheme are not supposed to be commercialized because, its an honor that is given to an artiste who unarguably worked tiredly to appeal the mass and the entertainment fraternity at large. According to him, when an artiste pay to receive an honor, which is even not guaranteed, it becomes a paid for awards, adding that, artiste pay for the honor, promote the event via their medium of communication to meet a target group, with the objective of boosting sales and later pay to be at the venue to receive the plaque.
Speaking on the subject that awards give these musicians the opportunity to showcase their talent, George Mensah Britton stated that, awards scheme organizers shouldn’t be exhilarated by an artiste phenomenal success within their career of endeavor, stating that, contrarily, the musicians rather employ protocol mechanisms, and through their mileage they elevate the face of the awards scheme.
However, solidifying George Britton’s assertions on this development, Ghanaian rapper Nii Addo Quaynor, better known by his stage name Tinny, reiterated that, the organizers gain more compared to the artiste because, anyone who patronize the event is as a result of the influence from their respective favorite artiste and that generate income for the organizers. He believes that, award schemes should recognize the hard work of an artiste by having competent people with the technical know-how on board to determine who articulately deserve the honor not by votes.
