Merqury Quaye, the founder of the Guinness Ghana DJ Awards, has voiced his disappointment regarding a recent comment made by Kojo Manuel, one of the award recipients from this year’s edition. Kojo, who won the Best MC/Hypeman of the Year category at the 2024 Ghana DJ Awards, expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that he shared the award with MC Portfolio, claiming that he believed he should have been the sole winner in that category.
The awards ceremony, which took place at the Palms Convention Centre in Accra on November 9, 2024, celebrated the achievements of several key figures in the Ghanaian DJ and music scene. Kojo Manuel’s comment stirred controversy despite the shared honour, leading to Merqury Quaye’s public disapproval.
Quaye, in response to the remark, conveyed his disappointment over Kojo Manuel’s reaction to the joint award. This exchange highlights the ongoing dynamics and occasional tension within the music and entertainment industry, especially regarding recognition and accolades.
In a recent interview on 3 Music TV, Kojo Manuel further explained his dissatisfaction with the joint award in the Best MC/Hypeman of the Year category at the 2024 Ghana DJ Awards. He expressed strong feelings about the concept of a tie, stating, “I don’t believe there’s anything like a tie,” and used an analogy to illustrate his point: “I don’t think Ghana would have an election and say the NPP and NDC won.” Kojo also emphasized that he had not received any official explanation from the Ghana DJ Awards regarding why the decision was made to have a tie in that category.
He continued, highlighting the effort he put into his work over the past year, saying, “Everybody knows the work I’ve done the year under review,” and questioned what criteria were used to compare him with his co-recipient, MC Portfolio. He also lamented the current situation in the industry, where winning an award often requires public justification, stating, “Unfortunately, we’ve got to a point where you win an award, and you have to explain yourself…”
Kojo’s comments reveal his frustration with the outcome of the awards and the broader perception of how accolades are distributed, sparking a discussion about the fairness and transparency of the awards process.
In response to Kojo Manuel’s comments, Merqury Quaye, the Founder of the Guinness Ghana DJ Awards, expressed his disappointment during an interview on Hitz FM with host Doreen Avio. He stated that while it’s understandable for someone to voice their dissatisfaction, he felt that Kojo’s approach was misdirected and inappropriate.
Quaye expressed, “I am very disappointed in Kojo Manuel for his output regarding his commentary on this. It is okay to register your displeasure about something, but I think the tangent he is on leaves a lot to be desired.” He also specifically addressed Kojo’s remarks about not believing in the concept of a tie, calling it “very unfortunate for a person of his calibre” to hold such a view. According to Quaye, the notion of a tie is valid in awards scenarios, and the comments made by Kojo Manuel were disappointing considering his position in the industry.
This exchange highlights the ongoing tension between the award organizers and the recipient over the outcome of the Best MC/Hypeman category at the 2024 Ghana DJ Awards.
Merqury Quaye continued to express his disappointment in Kojo Manuel’s reaction, emphasizing that ties are a common and accepted occurrence in many competitive settings. He pointed out, “There is a tie in a lot of competitions. Even in football matches, you can have a draw. When it comes to award programmes, you can talk about the Grammys. There are ties in the Grammys. You can talk about BET. If you may recall, in 2015, Wizkid had a tie but Sarkodie did not come out to rant like Kojo Manuel is doing.”
Quaye further questioned why Kojo Manuel had not raised similar complaints about the previous awards he had won from the Ghana DJ Awards, suggesting that the issue was not with the concept of ties but rather with this specific instance. His comments implied that Kojo’s reaction to the joint win was disproportionate, especially considering the broader context of awards ceremonies where ties are accepted without controversy.
Quaye’s remarks reflect his belief that Kojo, as an experienced industry figure, should have handled the situation with more understanding and professionalism.
Merqury Quaye didn’t hold back in his response, adding that Kojo Manuel should “get off his high horse” and remember that it was the same Ghana DJ Awards program that had recognized him as the Best MC in previous years. He pointed out that Kojo had been very proud of his past accolades, regularly mentioning them across platforms. Quaye emphasized that Kojo should recognize the importance of the same platform when addressing the current situation.
He continued, questioning why Kojo didn’t express similar concerns in the past, stating, “Why did he not come out to mention that he needed to understand why he won Best Hypeman last year? Why did he not come out to ask that the DJ Awards should come out and give him a breakdown of how he won the Hypeman two years ago?” This, Quaye explained, was part of the reason for his disappointment with Kojo Manuel’s recent comments.
Quaye’s frustration seemed rooted in the fact that Kojo had previously accepted the awards without issue, and now, when faced with a shared recognition, he was publicly questioning the process. This situation highlights the ongoing tension between the Ghana DJ Awards organizers and the artist, with Quaye reiterating that the awards, organized by Merqury Republic, have a history of fairness and transparency.
