R2Bees gets no nomination at 23rd VGMA
Charterhouse explains why 'Group of the Year' has been scrapped
Robert Klah, the Head of Communication at Charterhouse, organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Muisic Awards (VGMA) has said R2Bees did not give their consent for nomination, reason the music duo was not nominated for the 23rd edition of the scheme.
“R2Bees did not file for nomination. Neither were we able to get consent from them to feature their works on the nomination list,” he said on Hitz FM.
The list of nominees was unveiled on March 19, 2022 at the Grand Arena, Accra International Conference Centre. While concerns have been raised about the inclusion on some musicians in certain categories, R2Bees’s exclusion from the scheme has also engendered conversation with many expressing discontentment.
R2Bees during the year under review released an album ‘Back to the Basics’ which had quite a number of hit songs, reason their exclusion courted controversy.
Meanwhile, the board of the VGMA has scrapped the ‘Best Group of the Year’ category. According to the board, the category would not be competitive considering that the relevance of music groups has dwindled, Francis Doku, spokesperson for the board is reported to have said.
According to the category definition, “The Best Group of the Year is the Artistes adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the group with the highest audience appeal and popularity. They must comprise of at least 2 or more members and must have released a hit single/album during the year under review.”
During the 2013 edition of the scheme, R2Bees won six awards, including the Artiste of the Year and Best Group of the Year. In 2014, R2Bees defended the title. VVIP won the category on three consecutive occasions - 2015, 2016, 2017.
In 2018, Wutah made a terrific comeback to the music scene and won the category. Bethel Revival Choir won the title in 2019 while Dope Nation was adjudged the winner for the year 2020.
Keche, in 2021, walked home with the title.
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