Did King break Promise?
IN the days leading up to this year's Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), which took place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, Afropop artiste, King Promise sparked debate and anticipation over the coveted Artiste of the Year award with his confident prediction that he would walk away with the top honours.
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During an interview with Accra-based Hitz FM, the Terminator hitmaker stated that he would be "100 per cent surprised" if he did not win the ultimate award of the night.
“These days I just spit facts," King Promise said. "Really, I’m not one to blow my own trumpet or say stuff. I feel like this is the one(TGMA event) everyone has spoken about the most in a very long time because you could tell what we have done with our past releases over the past year and the work we’ve put in just representing the motherland to the rest of the world and being a worthy face of Ghanaian music.”
His bold assertion seemed to promise a triumph to his fans, heightening their expectations for the awards night. However, when the moment arrived, it was Stonebwoy who was crowned Artiste of the Year, leaving King Promise's supporters with a broken promise.
Broken 'promise'
Stonebwoy’s victory at TGMA25 marked his second time winning the prestigious Artiste of the Year award. While his triumph may not have been a surprise to many, considering his impressive achievements and contributions over the past year, it was certainly a disappointment for King Promise’s fans who had hoped for a different outcome.
Despite the setback, King Promise’s journey towards claiming the ultimate accolade is far from over. His strong performance and recognition this year underscore his potential and growing influence in the Ghanaian music industry. History suggests that perseverance can lead to success—just as KiDi, who lost to gospel singer Diana Hamilton in 2021, came back stronger the following year to win the title, King Promise has every reason to stay motivated.
Additionally, King Promise should actively promote his work, much like Stonebwoy did last year. Stonebwoy’s relentless promotion of his shows and constant public presence with his music paid off. In fact, the BHIM PR machinery were always grinding and the results wass evidenced by his victory at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) last Saturday.
Luckily for King Promise, his latest song, Paris, is another banger, which is doing well on various digital platforms. It is another ‘gold mine’ just like Terminator and he and his team should put in much works to ‘drill’ it well, and not wait till last minute to bombard music audiences with what they are doing. (Related article EDITOR’S LENS: Celebrating Stonebwoy, Afronita and Abigail's triumphs)
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Prior to the TGMA25 awards ceremony, a number of industry giants including veteran music producer/sound engineer, Fred Kyei Mensah aka Fredyma had made a strong case for King Promise to carry the day.
However, with his expectation not met, he told Graphic Showbiz on Wednesday, June 5, he was hopeful the artiste can come back stronger because he had an impressive run for the ultimate prize.
“I think all the nominees in the Artiste of the Year category were potential winners so Stonebwoy grabbing it wasn’t surprising. Let’s not forget that Stonebwoy and King Promise were favourites this year so it could have gone either way, even though I was rooting for King Promise.
“He did well last year but he should just keep working harder this year and who knows, he could win the Artiste of the Year award next year”.