Kwami Eugene Says TGMA Has Never Recognized His Songwriting
Kwami Eugene has written hits for himself and other artists across Ghana. However, the Telecel Ghana Music Awards Songwriter of the Year award has never come his way. He finally spoke up about it, and the Afrobeats community is paying attention.
Kwami Eugene TGMA: What He Actually Said
Ghanaian musician Kuami Eugene sat down for an interview on TV3’s The Afternoon Show on May 18, 2026, and said something that a lot of people were already thinking. Despite writing multiple hit songs, the Telecel Ghana Music Awards has never given him the Songwriter of the Year award. Not once.
He was direct about how that feels. He said people enjoy the songs, but the award never follows. For an artist who has poured consistent creative energy into both his own music and records for other artists, that disconnect is not easy to sit with.
AfrobeatsGlobal has always believed that the songwriting behind great Afrobeats records deserves its own spotlight. When artists like Kwami Eugene speak up about being overlooked, it opens an important conversation about how African music awards value creativity.
His Argument Against TGMA’s Criteria
Kwami Eugene did not just complain. He made a specific argument. He believes the TGMA Songwriter of the Year category consistently favors lesser-known or more obscure records over commercially successful ones. In his view, a song that the public actually sings and connects with should carry weight in that conversation.
He was particularly pointed about it. He said the obscure songs sit in their corner and the big bangers get treated like they are just fleeting music. That framing captures a real tension that exists in music awards everywhere. Do you reward what resonates with everyday listeners or what impresses a panel of judges?
Furthermore, he mentioned specific songs that he felt were overlooked. He wrote Nyame Yie and Victory for gospel artist Joyce Blessing. He also pointed to Watch Me as a record he felt deserved at minimum a nomination. He said if the public had a vote, that song would have been recognized.
Kwami Eugene said if the public got the chance to decide, they would give the award to Watch Me. That confidence says everything about how he sees his own catalogue and how his fans see it too.
The Joke That Was Not Really a Joke
At one point in the interview, Kwami Eugene joked that maybe he needs to start writing calmer, more reflective songs to finally get TGMA’s attention. However, the laugh hid a real frustration. Changing your artistic voice to chase an award is not a serious suggestion. It is a way of saying the current system does not make sense to him.
That kind of dry humor about awards recognition is something a lot of African artists relate to. The gap between public impact and industry recognition is a conversation that comes up again and again across the continent.
Why This Matters Beyond Just Kwami Eugene
This story is about more than one artist feeling overlooked. It raises a genuine question about how Ghanaian music awards define songwriting excellence. Is a songwriter who writes hits that millions of people know and love less valuable than one whose work only industry insiders discuss?
In addition, the fact that Kwami Eugene chose to speak openly about this matters. Artists often swallow these frustrations to avoid seeming ungrateful or difficult. When someone decides to say it clearly, it creates space for a real industry conversation.
AfrobeatsGlobal will be watching how TGMA responds to this kind of feedback over time. The awards space across Africa is still developing its standards and systems. Artists speaking up is part of how that development happens.
The conversation around African music awards and how they value different kinds of artistry is one AfrobeatsGlobal will keep covering. Follow us and stay in the debate. Stay plugged into the Afrobeats conversation. Share this post and keep the conversation going. Check out our previous blog post on Chanel by Blaqbonez and Asake Holds Number One on Spotify Nigeria.
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