Is the TGMA choking female talents?

Recent editions of the Ghana Music Awards (GMA) have given cause for concern about the apparent wane of female artistes making an appropriate impact in the industry.

This year’s event, which took place at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on June 1, was an indication of how uncompetitive our female artistes have seemingly become in the awards scheme.

Despite numerous nominations in various categories, no female artiste took home an award in any category that embraced male and female competitors at the 2024 edition.

Gospel singer, Queendalyn Yurglee, was the only female musician who won an award at the event and that was in the Best Female Vocal Performer category.

That was a stark contrast from the 2023 event where Piesie Esther and Gyakie won three awards. The 2024 situation definitely signals a worrying trend.

It has been argued that the lack of female representation on the awards board raises questions about bias and gender inequality. The absence of female winners in categories usually decided by the board and academy votes is quite telling.

The few instances of female winners, such as Ebony Reigns and Diana Hamilton, who won the coveted Artiste of the Year award in 2018 and 2021 respectively, are exceptions rather than the norm. The decline in female presence on the 2023 and 2024 awards tally is a wake-up call for the industry to address the gender gap.

The GMA board must re-evaluate its composition and voting patterns to ensure fairness and equal representation. Female artistes must also step up their game, but the industry must provide a level playing field. The 2025 edition will be a litmus test for how the industry attempts to address this imbalance.