Sarkodie
The maiden edition of the annual Tema Music Awards, being organized by 90 Degrees Tribe in partnership with Sound Master, has been launched.
The launch of the awards ceremony slated for June 6, which was chaired by A.B Crentsil and Nana Gyedu Blay Ambolley, was held at the Royal Nick Hotel in Tema.
The awards scheme was instituted to recognise and honour distinguished music industry personalities such as artistes, disc jockeys (DJs), sound engineers, radio presenters and producers who reside in Tema and its environs.
The ceremony was attended by music personalities such as A.B Crentsil, Dr Cryme, Kwaisey Pee, Stay Jay, Dadie Opanka, Posi Gee, Piesie, Macho Rapper and a host of others.
The awards committee, chaired by ace-actor, Ekow Blankson who grew up in Tema, announced the categories for the awards.
Categories included Tema Artiste of the Year, Tema Highlife Artiste of the Year, Tema Gospel Artiste of the Year, Best Video of the Year, Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the Year and the Female Vocalist of the Year among others.
Speaking at the event, Blankson assured that the processes leading to the award would be transparent and credible, and called on all industry players to have confidence in it.
He said the scheme was designed to appreciate and award all forms of Tema-Made music, cover Tema and its surrounding communities including Ada, Ashaiman, Klagon, Dawhenya, Prampram, Afienya, Golf City, all the way through to Spintex.
He encouraged musicians, DJs, music producers and other creatives to submit their nominations on time and also to abide by the governing rules and regulations to avoid being axed from the awards.
The Chief Executive Officer of Tema Music Awards, Nana Adu, expressed gratitude to all present and promised that his team was working hard to ensure that the award scheme stayed and grew from strength to strength.
A minute silence was held in the memory of the late Jewel Ackah who was a product of the city and had contributed greatly to the growth of the music industry in Ghana.
At the event the organizers announced the opening of nominations to pave way for artistes to be nominated for various categories of the awards.
The organizers however, stated that music stakeholders had until February 29, to submit their entries.
Interested stakeholders are encouraged to pick up nomination forms from the offices of organizers: Krom Pub in Community 9; Foozy Beatz at Cmmounity 4; C7 Multimedia and Oasis Multimedia at Community 4; Vienna City, Posi Gee Studios, Community 1 T, all in Tema and Beat Da Kay Studio in Ashaiman.
BEATWAVES gathered that before the maiden event on June 6, there would be series of activities like unveiling the nominees’ list at the Vienna City in Tema on Saturday, April 4, followed by nominees and stakeholders’ party at the Krom Pub on Sunday, April 5.
By George Clifford Owusu