The management team of Ghanaian rising star AratheJay has formally petitioned the Board and Academy of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) to clarify what they describe as key omissions from the nominations list for the 27th edition.
In a letter addressed to Charterhouse Ghana, organizers of the awards, the team raised concerns about the exclusion of three submissions despite what they say is strong performance data and eligibility under the scheme’s criteria.
Key Omissions Highlighted
The management is seeking a formal explanation for the absence of:
- “The Odyssey” from Album/EP of the Year
- “Put Am on God” from Best Rap Performance
- “Cover Me” from Best Male Vocal Performance
According to the team, all three entries were duly submitted through the TGMA nominations process.
Performance Metrics Cited
The petition references the commercial success of “The Odyssey,” AratheJay’s debut album, which reportedly:
- Consistently ranked in the Top 5 on Apple Music Ghana charts since October 2025
- Entered Spotify’s Top 10 Most Streamed Albums in Ghana for 2025
The management argues that these independently verifiable metrics align with TGMA’s published definitions for award eligibility and excellence.
Recognition Despite Concerns
Despite the grievances, AratheJay secured three nominations at this year’s awards:
- Best Music Video for “Put Am on God” (directed by David Duncan)
- Best Reggae/Dancehall Song for “Talisman” featuring Stonebwoy
- Best Hiplife Song as a featured act on Ko-Jo Cue’s “Tontonte”
The team expressed appreciation for these nominations, emphasizing that their request for clarification is limited to categories where submissions were made but not recognized.
Call for Transparency
In a statement, Almighty Records, AratheJay’s management, stressed that their appeal is not rooted in entitlement but in a desire for fairness and transparency.
“We are proud of what AratheJay built, particularly with The Odyssey in 2025. The numbers are not ours, but belong to independent public platforms. The criteria are not ours, but TGMA’s. We are simply asking the Board to explain how both sets of information were reconciled in arriving at the nominations list.”
They added that transparency in the process would benefit the entire Ghanaian music industry.
Awaiting Response
As of now, neither the TGMA Board nor Charterhouse Ghana has publicly responded to the request. The development is likely to spark broader conversations about award selection processes, data transparency, and industry standards in Ghana’s music scene.
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