Former TGMA PRO and ImageBureau Team Lead George Quaye has urged Charterhouse to introduce a special non-competitive category to honor established artistes like Shatta Wale, avoiding the awkwardness of pitting legends against rising stars.
The call came during a courtesy visit by Shatta Wale’s management to Charterhouse on October 27, thanking them for producing the sold-out ShattaFest 2025 at Independence Square on October 18, which drew thousands.
“Imagine Shatta Wale competing with an up-and-coming artiste… and the up-and-coming wins because of the dynamics,” Quaye said, warning of potential controversies in voting splits between board, academy, and public. He proposed a Lifetime Achievement-style honor with a mini-documentary, recognizing impact without competition: “If in a year like this it’s clear Shatta has done well… it’s an honour that benefits the artiste, scheme, and fans.”
Charterhouse CEO Theresah Ayoade responded positively, promising to escalate the suggestion to the TGMA board. “The Telecel Ghana Music Awards is an evolving scheme… for 26 years, what it looked like when it started is not what it looks like now,” she noted.
Shatta Wale, banned indefinitely after his 2019 onstage clash with Stonebwoy (lifted in 2021), has boycotted TGMA but expressed openness to partnerships like his Shaxi ride-hailing service. ShattaFest’s success—trending #ShattaFest2025 with 500,000+ posts—underscores his dominance, with hits like On God and global streams topping 1 billion.
