Founder of the Ghana Movie Awards, Fred Nuamah, has addressed the social media uproar surrounding the unique plaques awarded to winners at the 2025 edition of the awards.
The ceremony, held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Saturday, January 18, 2025, saw some winners receive plaques shaped like a ‘Papa’ (a locally made hand fan) instead of the traditional gold-plated plaques, sparking mixed reactions online.
In an interview with Joy News, Nuamah clarified that the fan-shaped plaques were specifically for the Ghana TV Series Awards, a separate category under the Ghana Movie Awards umbrella.
He explained that while the Ghana Movie Awards has a trademarked gold-plated plaque, the TV Series Awards is still experimenting with its design.
“For the Ghana TV Series Awards, because we didn’t have a trademark, we started with the golden plaques, then tried something else, and now they introduced this new design. So, those who received the fan, aka the ‘Papa,’ were winners in the Ghana TV Series Awards category,” he stated.
When asked if he was aware of the design beforehand, Nuamah admitted that he only saw it on the day of the event.
He defended the creative decision, emphasising the importance of supporting local craftsmanship.
“Normally, we go to China, India, and other places for our plaques. If my team is saying they want to create something locally, of course, I support it,” he said.
Nuamah also drew a parallel to the art world, noting that creativity often transcends conventional expectations.
“You can’t challenge artists. What they see, we don’t see. For example, if you look at the Mona Lisa, it’s just a painting. The cost of the materials used might not be more than $400, but when it’s valued for sale, it’s worth billions of dollars,” he explained.
However, Nuamah acknowledged the public’s dissatisfaction with the design.
“Personally, I was okay with it because it was made in Ghana. But when people started complaining, I went back and told the team, ‘If you are giving something to people and they don’t like it, it’s okay to listen,’” he said.
Looking ahead, Nuamah confirmed that the design would be revised for future editions of the Ghana TV Series Awards.
“Most of the plaques for the Ghana TV Series Awards are temporary. We are yet to come up with a permanent design,” he added.
ID/MA
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