SHATTA LOSES VGMA’S GHC 16,000

Shatta Wale had wanted to donate the money he would have received from winning an award at this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Award (VGMA) to the children’s home but for absenting himself on the night, he has forfeited a whopping GHC16,000.

In 2012, Charterhouse – organizers of VGMA, informed the media that every winner of an award shall be given money. GHC 5,000to the winner of the covetous Artiste of the Year and GHC1,500 to the other categories. In 2013, the amount for Artiste of the Year was increased to GHC 10,000 and that for the other categories also increase to GHC 3,000 respectively.

Charterhouse added that any nominee, who does not attend the event or absent him or herself when the fellow is announced as a winner, forfeits the promised money.

It’s a promise we made to the nominees that if they fail to attend the event on the award’s night, they forfeit the money but will still receive the plaque, VGMA Board member, Nii Aryittey Hammond, told Razz Newspaper. Mr. Hammond intimated that the board maintained the same amount – GH10,000 for winner of Artiste of the Year and GHC3,000 for the other categories respectively; as it was last year.

Reacting to the board’s decision, manager of Shatta Wale, Bull Dog, told Razz Newspaper that they are not worried about the fact that they have lost the money. According to him, they intended to donate that money to the children’s home.

Shatta Wale, winner of this year’s Artiste of the Year (as well as the winner for Vodafone Song of the Year and Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year), was not present at this year’s awards night. He disclosed to his fans via Facebook that Charthouse contacted him to perform but the latter failed in meeting his performance fee of GH70, 000 hence his refusal to perform on the awards.

Though he was not present at the venue (Accra International Conference Center) to perform or receive his awards, Shatta Wale surfaced outside the auditorium late in the night when lots of patrons of the event had left.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review on Thursday, 8th May, 2014, Bull Dog disclosed the actual reason why they concluded that Shatta Wale should not perform on the night. “A week or two before the awards, we had feedback from our ‘hardcore’ fans telling us that if Shatta does not win an award, they might vandalize the event.”

At last year’s VGMA, Shatta Wale lost the Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year to promising female dancehall artist, Kaakie. Crestfallen and fumed Shatta Wale went into pissy mode claiming he had been robbed of the award. He was seen angrily screaming at the lobby of the venue and was thrown out and detained by the security officers.

Later, he took to twitter and vented his spleen on Charterhouse “fuck Ghana music industry, fuck Charterhouse and I mean this from my heart. I don’t need them in any way. Big up to all Shatta Wale fans” as well as composed a song hooked on the chorus “me no need your award, Charterhouse” which subsequently enjoyed massive airplay.