Kwaku Osei Korankye Asiedu, popularly known as KOKA
Entertainment critic Kwaku Osei Korankye Asiedu, popularly known as KOKA, has stated that the increasing obsession with awards is harming the growth and authenticity of Ghana’s music industry.
KOKA expressed worry that instead of making music for artistic expression, musicians and industry stakeholders are now more concerned with producing music to win awards.
“These awards are gradually destroying our music. People are writing to cater to awards rather than creating songs for enjoyment. There is now banter among pundits who have become PROs and are fighting amongst themselves,” he said during a panel discussion on Adom TV.
His comments come in the wake of heightened tensions and rumours of intense lobbying between some artistes’ camps ahead of the 2025 Telecel Ghana Music Awards.
In recent weeks, some entertainment pundits, particularly Vida Adutwumwaa and Mc Portfolio, who now serve as Public Relations Officers for Stonebwoy and King Paluta, respectively, have been openly clashing on social and traditional media platforms, each pushing narratives to favour their preferred artiste for major award categories.
Speaking on these developments, KOKA noted that the ongoing back-and-forth within the artistes’ camp has shifted the focus from music quality and audience impact to political manoeuvring and personal agendas.
He fears this could undermine the credibility of the award schemes and distort the true essence of music appreciation in Ghana.
AK/EB
