Entertainment journalist and former Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Charterhouse, George Quaye, has refuted claims made by gospel singer Jack Alolome regarding the sponsorship of Ghana Music Awards activities.

During a discussion on UTV’s United Showbiz, Jack asserted that securing a nomination at the Ghana Music Awards requires having connections with board members to advocate on their behalf. He emphasized instances where gospel musicians were bypassed for nominations and awards, despite the widespread popularity of their songs. Jack recounted his own experience, mentioning that even with a hit song, his producer had to advocate for his nomination, likely involving financial transactions.

He mentioned competing against Herty Borngreat for an award, suspecting she had stronger connections, potentially due to her and her husband’s sponsorship of the event. He stressed the necessity of insider connections in the nomination process for gospel musicians, underscoring the challenges faced without such relationships.

“With gospel musicians, when you release a song, no matter how well it performs, if you don’t have an insider, it will be difficult to get a nomination. It could be that the gospel artists who were nominated had insiders. When I released ‘Tomorrow By This Time’, it was very popular, even to this date. It was between myself and Herty Borngreat.

“The information I received was that the lady and her husband were sponsoring the event tour at the time. My producer lobbied, but later, I was told we didn’t get it because they [Herty Borngreat and her people] were sponsoring them.”

However, George Quaye vehemently refuted these accusations, stressing that no gospel musician has been overlooked during the nomination process. He also dismissed any suggestion that artists have ever funded the Ghana Music Awards. Quaye issued a direct challenge to Herty Borngreat and her husband, urging them to validate their alleged sponsorship.

He declared, ““I want to clarify something, and I am saying this on authority. No artist has ever sponsored the Ghana Music Awards. So, Herty Borngreat and her husband’s claims are not true. I am challenging them to come out and confirm if they did that.”

Additionally, Quaye acknowledged the existence of lobbying within the industry but maintained that artists have not been involved in sponsorship. He also recognized that addressing the lobbying issue is a challenge currently being addressed by the board members of the Ghana Music Awards.