A cross-discipline scheme that would seek to honour Ghanaian professionals in the fields of music, football, boxing, film, theatre and broadcasting would be held in Accra in March this year. The maiden edition of the honours scheme, which would be launched next week, would be used to commend those who in 2010 went out of their way to entertain Ghanaians through their various fields of endeavour.

Dubbed Most Popular Entertainer of Ghana Honours or MPEG, this cross-discipline honours event would ensure that professionals in the various fields of music, film acting, television acting, theatre, football, boxing, comedy, radio and television broadcasting are commended for their services to the people of Ghana in the year 2010.

“We would hold an event this year to honour the most deserving professionals in the fields of arts, entertainment, sports and broadcasting just to say thank you to them for entertaining us in the year gone by,” says Francis Doku, Executive Producer of MPEG.

He explained that the first objective of MPEG is to identify and honour all the topmost entertainers in the various fields mentioned earlier. “It is also, and most importantly, a quest to look for the one person who could be referred to as the most popular entertainer among his or her peers,” said Doku.

Touching on the format that would be used for the awards the executive producer said it would involve nominations by a college and voting by the public to choose those to be honoured. “The College is made up of professionals and watchers of the various disciplines in Ghana who would use their experience and active involvement in their chosen fields last year to nominate those who most excelled. The public then would be called upon to help choose the finalists and then the ultimate entertainer in 2010 through text and online voting,” he stressed.

He also added that on the night of the event all the finalists from the various disciplines would be honoured with a trophy, a certificate and accompanying prizes (as would be received from sponsors).  “This is to acknowledge their efforts in the year being reviewed and to say thank you for being the number one entertainer in your field,” Francis Doku mentioned.

He further explained that the person voted by the public and the College as the most popular entertainer of 2010 would receive an additional trophy and prizes for standing tall among his or her colleagues. “This would be our MPEG, the guiding light of entertainment in Ghana in the year 2010 as adjudged by the College and the public.”

At the main event to honour these entertainers one consummate entertainer would be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Honour for his or her contribution to the industry though the years. “This individual or group would be chosen by the College for being a good example to their generation and those after them vis-à-vis their chosen profession through the years. Thus it could be a boxer, broadcaster, actor/actress, musician, footballer, etc who is deemed to have distinguished himself or herself very well to his or her vocation over the years.”

Also to be honoured are a couple of institutions which have contributed immensely to entertainment over the past decade. “Indeed there have been great individuals who have contributed greatly to the advancement of entertainment in this country but there have also been institutions whose contributions have helped to develop the arts, entertainment, broadcasting and sports over the years whose efforts need to be recognized,” Doku emphasized.

The ten-member MPEG College is made up of broadcasters, television producer, music producer, film producer, entertainment reporters, sports reporter and critics. “It is a formidable team made up of people who know their way around their respective industries and whose experiences have come handy and invaluable in shaping how MPEG would end up to be.”

The roadmap, categories, criteria, mode of voting and all other very important details associated with the maiden edition of Most Popular Entertainer of Ghana (MPEG) Honours would be revealed at a launch programme to take place in Accra next week.

MPEG is an initiative of FDD Communications Consult.