”Without Votes, You Will Not Win an Award” – VGMA Tells Nominees

Vodafone Ghana Music Awards’ organizers, Charterhouse, beckons on all Nominees to ensure their fans vote, comparing their scheme to that of the presidential and general elections.

As it is in every situation where the voting technique is used, once the winner is announced and it is not someone the fans support, there will always be insinuations that the votes were rigged. Now, the board is calling on all nominees to ensure their fans vote.

According to the organizers, voting is a very integral part of the scheme, though, the votes of the academy and board matter.

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In years past, fans showed their displeasure for results where their favourite acts do not win in categories they had expected them to, by calling Vodafone Ghana Music Awards organisers all sort of names.

The VGMA has however clearly stated that Ghanaians do not take to voting for their candidates, and when they do not vote, they are bound to be disappointed.

The VGMA weekend slated to hold from Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30, promises to be all shades of fun, featuring great acts like Efya, Kuami, Eugene, Kwesi Arthur, Adine and a host of others at the virtual event.

The Public Relations Officer for Charterhouse, Robert Klah, speaking to Yazzi Sangari on GH, stated affirmatively that it is very possible that the votes by the public influences decisions made by the board and the academy, and that it is impossible for a nominee to win, or the scheme to run without votes.

In urging the public to vote for their favourite acts he said, ”everybody has a role. The academy can make a decision depending on the vote you get from the general population. The board can also make a decision based on the academy’s vote”. He added that, ”people need to vote. Without voting, nothing is going to work, that is how the scheme runs”.

The PRO was asked what makes a nominee emerge as a winner, and he responded, ”Fans. Your fans recognizing your works. They must translate this faith, belief or opinion through votes…. without the votes, you will not win an award even if people think you are the best. That is how the scheme works”

He went ahead to compare the VGMA to the presidential elections, that people can like you, but them liking you does not automatically translate to votes, and also people can assume you are already the winner but if they do not put in the work, you might not win.  

In his words, ”It’s just like when you are voting for the president, it is not about who you think, it is about who you vote for, so, if you are not voting for your choices, then they cannot win. You need to get your people to show their support through the votes”.

Author

  • Emmanuel Bagudu is a Kaduna state (north-west Nigeria) born Multimedia Journalist currently reporting for News Central TV in Kano State. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA. Hons.) In Theatre and Performing Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and currently running a Master's Degree. Bagudu began journalism practice as a youth corps member in 2009 at DAAR Communications (AIT & RAYPOWER FM) in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, where he gained skills in reporting, non-linear editing, scripting and camera operations.

    He has published groundbreaking investigations on;

    1. Corporate Transparency in the Extractive Sector - Commissioned by -Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID)
    2. Damage Caused by the Looted Funds by Ex-Taraba and Plateau Governors Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye - Commissioned by -Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID)
    3. Fact-checking Convicted Reverend King’s Presidential bid in Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential Election - Commissioned by DUBAWA.COM, a subsidiary of Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID)
    4. And lots more

    He was also the winner of the 2020 edition of the SDG 16 innovation challenge in Nigeria in Abuja organised by Accountability Lab.

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