I was denied Ghana Music Award because I refused to pay bribe – Highlife Legend Nana Agyemang
Ghanaian Highlife musician Nana Agyemang has opened up about a shocking revelation of how he was treated unfairly by the Ghana Music Awards scheme.
In an exclusive interview with Ohemaa Acheampomaa on Onua FM’s Gh Highlife show, the highlife legend revealed that after he had released his hit song, ‘Araba’, he earned five nominations for the Ghana Music Awards in the year under review.
He explained further that the song was a banger across the country and many had expected him to win an award with that particular track.
However, Nana Agyemang recounted that back then he received a call from an inside man from Ghana Music Awards who requested that he paid a bribe to guarantee him an award.
The highlife legend noted that he refused to pay the bribe and was denied an award despite his hit track ‘Araba’ gaining grounds and topping charts all over the country back then.
“The ‘Araba’ song was so big that it instantly got to number one in various top 20 charts in the country, (especially Radio Gold countdown show) the charts were such that it was difficult to enter those days. Even if you enter the chart, you will have to struggle from the 20th position and struggle to number 1. But my song entered the chart and went for the ultimate.
“However, while my song was nominated in various categories, I got a call from them that I had won 5 awards but I should come sealed it with a brown envelope. Back then, I had nothing because I had just relocated from Kumasi to Accra. Also, I was ignorant about the real meaning brown envelope,” he disclosed.
He further indicated that after the awards, the scheme attributed his inability to win any award to supposed ‘inappropriate’ words used in his song.
When the host asked if he felt he was not being treated well, he answered affirmatively.
“Later on, when I lost, they told me that there were some vulgar words in the song. So, I asked how then did you nominate it if something like that was in the song? Yes, I’ve not been treated fairly,” he concluded.
Naa Agyemang is out with a new song dubbed ‘Behwe womma’ ft Kwabena Sunkwa.
