GHANAIAN Reggae artiste Ras Kuuku has criticised organisers of the annual Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) for restricting the Gospel Song of the Year category to only gospel artistes.

To him, what defines a gospel song is not the artiste performing it but rather the lyrics and message it conveys.

According to the TGMA’s official criteria, “The Best Gospel Song is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board, and the General Public as the most popular Christian song, commercially released in the year under review.

The song must have generated the most public excitement and enjoyed a lot of patronage from the general public. Only songs performed by Gospel artistes are eligible for this category.”

This means that even if an artiste from a different genre releases a song with a strong gospel message, they are ineligible for the award, a limitation Ras Kuuku strongly opposes.

In a chat with Graphic Showbiz, the Reggae star pointed out that several musicians outside the gospel genre have created songs that align with the gospel theme but are excluded due to the category’s restrictions.

 He cited examples such as Aseda by rapper and singer King Paluta, Aseda by the late Dancehall/Afrobeats artiste Ebony Reigns, and his own song Me Mpaebo, all of which, he argued, contained strong gospel messages but were automatically disqualified because they were not performed by gospel artistes.

"The gospel music category should be open to all artistes, regardless of their genre or background. What defines a gospel song is its lyrical content and message, not the artiste who performs it. Therefore, any song that promotes hope, praises the divine, and maintains a positive message should be eligible for a gospel award at the TGMA.”

“The focus should be on the song's merit, not the artiste's identity. This means that if there's a Gospel Song of the Year category, it should recognise the song that best represents the values and spirit of gospel music, regardless of who performs it,” he added. 

Beyond his concerns about the Gospel category, Ras Kuuku also expressed frustration over being consistently overlooked for the Male Vocalist of the Year nomination at TGMA.