Ghana misses big chance to host Grammy Africa

Ghana has missed a prime opportunity to host the Grammy Africa Awards set to become the biggest platform to celebrate and elevate the rich musical talents across the continent, echoing the success of the Latin Grammys introduced in 1997.

The Recording Academy, globally renowned for organising the prestigious Grammy Awards, recently announced plans to establish an African version of the event to bolster the Academy’s influence in rapidly growing music markets.

However, as excitement mounts for the inaugural Grammy Africa Awards scheduled for either 2027 or 2028, Ghana finds herself excluded from the spotlight of this historic event after failing to fulfil the requirements to join the ranks of founding countries—Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa—in hosting the awards.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Lady Dentaa Amoateng, Senior Advisor to the Grammy CEO and President of Grammy Africa, disclosed Ghana was unable to finalise certain requirements with the Recording Academy, citing resource constraints as one of the reasons.

“It’s a bit unfortunate, but the agreement that would have solidified Ghana’s participation didn’t come to fruition. As a result, the four countries–Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa will be the ones hosting the Grammy Africa Awards and enjoying the associated benefits. So for now, Ghana is not part of the founding member countries.

“While Ghanaian artistes will still be eligible for nominations and participation in the Grammy Africa Awards, the country will miss out on the significant opportunities and prestige that come with being a founding member and host”, she added.

This development marks a missed chance for Ghana to solidify her place on the global music stage and benefit from the cultural and economic advantages that come with hosting such a high-profile event.

Lady Dentaa however expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming event, stating it would significantly bridge the gap between African artistes and the global creative community.

She said the Academy had been actively engaging with cultural ministries and key stakeholders across Africa and the Middle East for the past two years.

This extensive engagement included listening sessions and high-level briefings with government officials and pioneering music creators aimed at fostering global connections for African music creators.

Although a formal announcement for the start of the awards is pending, Lady Dentaa said “I’ve been working with them for the past two years and I would say it is in the pipeline.

“We are looking at probably 2027-2028. But the Recording Academy will put out a statement soon. Again, we just have to wait for this information. But I believe in 2027 or 2028, the continent will host its first Grammy Awards.”