Celebrated music star, Kwame Eugene has expressed disappointment over what he describes as the lack of recognition for his songwriting abilities at the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA).
Speaking during an interview on TV3, Eugene lamented that despite writing several hit songs over the years, he has never received the Songwriter of the Year award.
“We’ve never received the Songwriter of the Year award before. What hurts me is that my songwriting ability isn’t recognised. People enjoy the songs, but they don’t give me the award for it,” he said.
According to Kwame Eugene, although he has earned nominations in the past, he believes the award scheme often overlooks commercially successful songs.
“I think it’s because most of the songs I’ve released are hits. I’ve never seen TGMA give Songwriter of the Year to a big song—they usually give it to more obscure songs,” he explained.
The singer jokingly suggested that he may have to change his songwriting style to fit what the award organisers prefer.
“Maybe I’ll start writing songs that are calmer and more reflective,” he added.
Kwame Eugene further stated that he believes his songwriting skills have not been fully appreciated by the award scheme.
“I feel my songwriting skills haven’t been appreciated enough by TGMA,” he stressed.
The award-winning artist also criticised the tendency to favour less popular songs in the category while overlooking hit records.
“The obscure songs sit in their corner talking about drunkenness. I’d rather write a hit song. That’s why some of the songs I’ve written are big bangers, but they see big bangers like they’re just fleeting music,” he said.
Kwame Eugene also mentioned specific songs he believes deserved recognition but were ignored by the awards board.
“My songs ‘Nyame Yie’ and ‘Victory’ for Joyce Blessing didn’t get nominations. It’s not the public that decides—TGMA decides what gets into the category,” he explained.
He further argued that if music fans had the opportunity to vote directly for songwriting categories, some of his songs would have received nominations.
“If the public got the chance, they’d give it to ‘Watch Me.’ At least ‘Watch Me’ should get a nomination. If it depended on the public, they’d do justice to my songs,” he concluded.
Despite his frustrations with the lack of recognition from TGMA, Kwame Eugene remains confident in his songwriting abilities and the impact of his music on fans. The “Rockstar” believes his hit songs and consistent contribution to the music industry speak for themselves, as he continues to push boundaries and create music that resonates with audiences across Ghana and beyond.
