MTV Africa Music Awards, is Ghana’s best good enough?

Judging by the fact that Ghana and for that matter, Ghana Music Awards Artist of the Year – Sarkodie –  has just one nomination in the upcoming MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs),  perhaps the answer to the above question is no. But as a lover of Ghanaian music, I know that our music is as good as music from any part of Africa.

During a press conference ahead of the Road to MAMAs last year, I suggested to Zain that perhaps as part of its support for Ghanaian music, it could select some musicians as brand ambassadors just as some of the other telecommunications companies do. That way, the selected musicians could be well resourced to shoot better music videos, and to do proper marketing of their music in Ghana and across the continent.  Even though that did not happen, there were a lot more quality videos from Ghana this year and most of them made their way onto MTV Base. These included music videos from the likes of Sarkodie, VIP, R2bees and many others.

So how come Ghana couldn’t get multiple nominations at the MAMAs this year? Certainly the old excuse of not having enough quality music videos can not hold. Perhaps it is it because Ghanaian music videos don’t get as much rotations on MTV Base as the others do. And if that is the case who decides which music video gets airplay on MTV Base? I ask these questions because I don’t understand why Ghanaian musicians get nominated in similar pan-African awards such as Channel O Music Video Awards and Soundcity Music Awards but always miss out on the MAMAs. Although the MAMAs doesn’t qualify itself as a music video awards, it is powered by music videos just like the others.

Samini was nominated for best performer in 2008 and in 2009 he won the award to make Ghana proud.  Kwaw Kese and Ofori Amponsah have also been nominated for ‘Best New Act’ and ‘Listener’s Choice Award’ respectively in the past.  This year, Sarkodie is the only Ghanaian nominated and it leaves very little to the imagination, what would have happened if MTV had not decided to introduce the Best Anglophone category this year.

Sarkodie has been nominated in the Best Anglophone category alongside Wande Coal (Nigeria), Daddy Owen (Kenya), and Big Nuz (South Africa). To prove that Ghana’s best is good enough for the MAMAs vote for Sarkodie on www.mama.mtvbase.com or www.mtvmama.mobi For Airtel users, text BA, followed by Sarkodie to short code 6262.

The 2010 MAMAs is scheduled to take place on December 11 at the Eko Expo Hall, Lagos, Nigeria.