Shatta Wale fans suspect something fishy about Shatta’s non-inclusion in BET nominations

• Posted on May 19, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

“There is a voting academy made up of about 500 people from the music industry, media, and bloggers. BET sends out ballots electronically and voters nominate in all the different categories who they think should be award nominees. These are collated by a group called “Yangaroo” that works on other awards shows as well, and they narrow it to the top five nominees, and send that list back out to the academy to vote on the winner” these are the processes for nominating an Artiste in BET every year.

Undeniably, BET is the measure gauge in Ghana now for bragging right and the acme of an Artiste’s career. Fans of Shatta Wale on social media have expressed displeasure over Shatta Wale’s non-inclusion into the ‘2015 Best International Act: Africa’ which saw Sarkodie and Stonebwoy representing Ghana. Shatta Wale fans on social media have again listed the awards he won last year which makes him obvious choice into the category. Amongst some of the awards listed were;

Artist of the Year – Ghana Music Awards 2014.
African Artist of the Year – Nigeria Entertainment Awards 2014.
World Best Entertainer – International Reggae and World Music Awards 2014.
Artist of the Year Bass Awards 2014
Male Musician of the Year – GN Bank Awards 2015
Most Influential Musician of the year ETV Awards 2015.
Most Influential Artist of the Year – Jigwe Awards 2014.

The above listed awards they are convinced makes the Dancehall King the obvious representation for Ghana.

Not ending there, they (fans of Shatta Wale) have taken Stonebwoy to the cleaners as undeserving of the nomination. Popular of the posts is Dee Plies’ on his active Facebook which reads (unedited);

“No wonder they rushed to give Stonebwoy that sympathetic #VGMA Artist of the year award at the expense of Sarkodie who was the obvious winner of VGMA this year so as to cover their shame when this news breaks up. Now it has been clear to every one why Chatter House awarded Stonebwoy as the Artist of the year this year. Thank God, some of us are not *fools* to be deceived. We know what is happening in this country. Some people have turned themselves as Lords of the Entertainment Industry, without them, no one can succeed.As I have always said, Shatta Wale whether with or without BET Award nomination, will still remain the biggest act that has ever happened to Ghana music. You cant take that from him. And some of us will continue to push his brand as far as Dancehall music is concern in this country. What a nation we live in. We no more honor those who deserves what but rather those who are bootleakers and will kotow to our whims and caprices.” 213 people have endorsed his post by liking it on Facebook.

He also wrote;

“An artist who won all these awards across the world could not make an entry into this years BET Awards? This is serious. We know those who are behind this sabotage. As a matter of fact, BET Awards organizers before nominating an artist from any country speaks to some influential names especially organizers of National Awards schemes in every country about how well all the artists are doing with their music career and they end up giving them their best two artist in their various countres.
In Ghana, i wonder who in Chatter House will make mention of Shatta Wale’s name to the BET Award organizers as an artist who is a force to reckon with or most influential. A company that refused to make its News Casters on GH OneTV to mention the name of Shatta Wale when he was nominated in the Chanel O Music Video Awards. How on earth will they shortlist Shatta Wale as part of the musicians who are very influential in Ghana to be considered.”

Author: Nana Kwesi Coomson (www.233times.net) @nkcoomson on Twitter