Ghanaian musician DJ Azonto has expressed his frustration over the event’s trend of awarding musicians who have been in the industry for over a decade, neglecting the rising stars who are making waves and pushing boundaries in the music scene.
DJ Azonto minced no words in his critique, stating, “I will not attend TGMA again if they keep giving awards to old men who can’t buy their mum a jet.”
His dissatisfaction stems from a belief that the awards which is aimed at promoting Ghana music and that talents should recognize and inspire rather than give such awards to those who he feels have already had their time in the spotlight, including Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy etc.
According to DJ Azonto, these seasoned musicians no longer have anything to prove to the younger generation and TGMA has become the yardstick for them so they can’t keep competing on the global market since they already feel comfortable winning TGMA.
He emphasized that most of these veteran musicians have started to perform at Senior High Schools (SHS) and kindergartens, taking money yet offering little inspiration or value in return.
“They aren’t inspiring the upcoming youth like Davido, Burna Boy, and others,” he remarked, highlighting the need for fresh, dynamic influences in the industry.
DJ Azonto also pointed out the importance of recognizing new talent that resonates with the youth, who are the future of the music industry.
By continuing to honour long-established artists, DJ Azonto argues that the TGMA is failing to support and nurture the next generation of musicians and the growth we expect to see in Ghanaian music.
DJ Azonto added that key elements need to be addressed for the awards to regain their relevance and impact.
He calls for the inclusion of awarding new gems Artists Of The Year over veteran artists which will further push the older musicians to keep fighting extra and pushing more in the international market for the younger ones to follow.