Okyeame Kwame, Others Honoured

THIS YEAR'S Ghana Music Awards nominees in the Best Music For Development category have received their cash prizes from the World Bank, the main sponsor of that category.

The presentation ceremony was held at the offices of the World Bank in Accra and attended by officials of Charter House and the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).

It also attracted a number of musicians and a section of stakeholders in the music industry.

Okyeame Kwame, Edem and Bosheba were nominated for the Best Music for Development Category in 2012, which was convincingly won by the rap doctor Okyeame Kwame for his relentless and sustained campaign on Hepatitis B.

For his prize, Okyeame Kwame received an amount of GH¢3000, while Edem and Bosheba also had GH¢1000 each.

The MUSIGA president, Obour, advised musicians to take music very seriously, especially the art of singing, stagecraft and playing of musical instruments.

He also advised musicians to practice a lot, look for places to perform and always showcase what they had.

Over the past few years, the World Bank Ghana Office has embarked on an initiative to help promote the development of the creative arts in Ghana and beyond, with a special focus on the music industry.

This has contributed towards the recognition of the creative industry as an integral part of Ghana's developmental agenda, and as an important sector for youth employment, poverty reduction and wealth creation.

A small part of this initiative has been the introduction of the 'Best Music for Development Category' in the Ghana Music Awards.

This category has become very popular and is growingly sought after, year after year, during the Ghana Music Awards, and 2012 was no exception.

By George Clifford Owusu