MTN 4syte Music Video Awards Disrespects Gospel Industry – Preachers Threaten To Sue Organizers; Cwesi Oteng, Akesse Move For Gospel Artistes To Boycott The Awards

In what went down as the biggest flop in recent times with regards to Award Schemes, the MTN 4syte Music Video Awards, ended with a gross fiasco and disrespect to the Gospel Music Industry.
The event held at the International Conference Centre on Saturday 14th Nov 2015, ended without any presentation to the “Best Gospel Video” category, though it was included in the nominations list which came weeks earlier. As a matter of fact, the Gospel category was not even mentioned/recognized at any point throughout the night as if to say it was not even part of the event; leaving the nominees in a state of total disdain.
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Being the 7th edition of the awards, patrons could have only expected the event to be far better than that of previous years, but unfortunately that was not the case. The whole event just went down as one of the worst; from how the event started long behind schedule and dragged, from poor protocol, to the technical bits and even coordination at the event was just abysmal.
Multiple award winning trio; Preachers, in an interview on Pluzz FM hinted that the group could be dragging organizers to court for the gross insolence shown to them. Preachers also revealed that organizers failed to provide them with nominee’s tickets/invite to attend the event. As such they had to buy their own VIP tickets as well as even buy their own parking sticker to be able to park their car at the premise.
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There also has been an uproar from some gospel artistes for the gospel industry to boycott the whole 4syte Music Video awards scheme as they have no regard for the gospel industry.
Obed of Preachers was first to register his displeasure at the organizers for ‘disrespecting’ gospel artistes on the night. He tweeted asking “How did it happen? Last night completely ignored da Gospel category. Like it never existed. Wow. “.

Cwesi Oteng in a tweet on Sunday also said “Gospel Artistes shd boycot 4syte music video awards for d disrespect at d 4syte music video awards. We dont need your award to encourage us.”  


_MG_8751Cwesi Oteng who was invited by organizers to come present the Best Gospel Video award, was made to present another category upon getting to the stage. In an interview this Monday on Radio Univers’ mid-morning show, Brunch2Lunch, Cwesi stated that the act was unwarranted and called on gospel artistes to boycott the scheme.

“We [gospel musicians] are not begging for awards. I actually don’t want anybody to think that gospel artistes want awards and they must be given. I actually wish there is no gospel category. All of us are doing music. If so, then they should have an Islam category. They should just judge creative works than for them to put gospel there and not recognise it. It’s disrespectful, it’s uncalled for. And I will call on all gospel musicians to boycott 4syte Music Video Awards moving forward because we don’t want anybody’s validation for whatever,” he fumed.
“I’m happy I wasn’t nominated this time because it would have made it look like I’m saying this because I didn’t win an award….. If it’s a problem, they should remove it because we don’t need it,” he added.

Addressing some of these concerns on on the same show, a committee member, Ezekiel Tetteh, popularly known as Stip told host, Abrantepa that they were hit by a challenge beyond their control.
He stated that the event dragged and made it impossible for the Gospel category award to be presented to the winner.

“Kingzkid’s ‘Hallelujah’ won the Gospel Music Video of the Year. It wasn’t presented. We realised the show was dragging so we couldn’t present all the awards on stage. We’ve spoken to the people in that category that we will present to them live on 4syte TV,” he said.

Akesse Brempong also in a submission on Pluzz FM on Tuesday supported the position by Preachers to sue 4syte and also took the same stand with Cwesi for the whole awards scheme to be boycotted by the Gospel Music Industry.

“I think a stronger action should be taken, all the awards schemes in this country keep to be apologizing for non-performance…..an awards scheme is supposed to be the conscience of the people and an epitome of excellence; even in their organization… so if 4syte TV is not giving us that, then they have no business operating and awards scheme….” He said.

“…This is gross disrespect to the gospel music fraternity and im calling for all Gospel artistes to boycott 4syte Music Video Awards cos it thing happened to me in 2013 too….. They are not showing respect for we do, they’re not counting us as even part of the industry….i mean for how long should these people take us for granted….we don’t need their awards to make impact” He added.

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Nii Armah Amarteyfio of the planning committee and member of the media team for the event, earnestly pleaded with Preachers on their decision to take the matter to court and asked that they meet and resolve this issue amicably.
The nominees as announced by 4syte for the Best Gospel Video category on October 24, 2015 were:
Kings Kid – Halleluyah
John Winner – Call Him
Minister Rapture – Baba
Joyce Blessing – Heavy Price
Obaa Christy – Hye Bre Sisafo
Francis Amo – Ngooba
Preachers – Crazy
Other categories that went unrecognized are Best highlife and Most Popular Music Video award. Organizers have also rendered apology to the general public for the inconvenience created at the 7th edition of the event.

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