The Founder of the Ghana Movie Awards, Fred Nuamah, has responded to concerns raised by some film industry stakeholders regarding the plaques awarded to some of the winners during its 2025 edition.
The program, which was held at the Accra International Conference Centre on January 18, 2025, has come under criticism for poor organization.
One of the issues that emerged after the award ceremony was the presentation of locally made fans (called papa in Twi) to some of the winners. The fan plaques feature a wooden base with inscriptions and a painting of Ghana’s red-gold-green flag with the black star.
Speaking to Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Fred Nuamah explained that the fans were awarded to winners of categories under a different award scheme called the Ghana TV Series Awards, even though both awards were held together.
“I do know that it is Ghana Movie Awards and Ghana TV Series Awards. It is the Ghana Movie Awards that we have the trademark with the gold-plated plaques. When it comes to Ghana TV Series Awards, because we don’t have the trademark, we started with the golden plaques, we went somewhere else and they tried this one [the fans] as well, so those who had the fan aka the papa, they are the Ghana TV Series Awards. So Ghana Movie Awards did not present papa, but the two events were held at the same place,” he explained.
Despite the criticism, Nuamah believed the artists who came up with the idea had good reasons.
“Normally we go to China, India, and other places for our plaques. So if my team is saying they want to come out with something locally made, of course, I needed to comply. Now, also let me say something here. You know you can’t challenge artists. What they see, we don’t see. For example, if you go and check on Mona Lisa, that small photograph, I am sure the cost of that photograph will not even be up to 400 dollars, but when they want to sell it, it costs billions of cedis. So when it comes to artists, they can pick anything and do anything with it, and tell you that this thing is 3,000 dollars,” he added.
Asked if he was impressed with the fan plaques, Nuamah responded affirmatively.
“Personally, I was okay with it because it was made in Ghana, so I was okay, until people started complaining about it. I went back to the team and told them if you are giving something to people and they seem not to like it, it’s okay. They are golden, so maybe they want something golden,” he said.
Fred Nuamah, however, mentioned that due to the feedback regarding the fan plaques, they would not be used again in future editions.
He also stated that the Ghana Movie Awards is facing financial difficulties and expressed hope that most of their issues could be resolved if they receive more assistance.
