Fred Nuamah: Ghana Movie Awards Supported Local Product With ‘Fan Mementos’

The founder of the Ghana Movie Awards (GMA), Fred Nuamah, recently addressed concerns regarding the “papa” (fan) mementos presented to winners at the awards ceremony held on Saturday, January 18, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

Despite the negative feedback surrounding the mementos, Nuamah explained that the initiative was meant to promote locally made products, a shift from the usual practice of importing awards items from countries like China and India.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Fred Nuamah revealed that while he had no issues with the fan mementos at first, the public’s negative reaction led him to reconsider their future use. He clarified that the decision to use locally made items was a deliberate move to support Ghanaian craftsmanship, noting that in previous years, they had imported mementos from abroad.

“Normally we go to China, India and other places for our mementos. So if my team is saying they want to come out with something locally [made], of course [I needed to comply],” Mr. Nuamah stated.

Nuamah also shared an insightful perspective on the nature of artistic value, particularly in relation to the fans.

“You know you can’t challenge artists. What they see, we don’t see it. 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 when they want to sell it about billions of cedis,” he said.

He pointed out that artists have the ability to assign high value to their creations, regardless of the material or size.

“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.”

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, acknowledging that the public’s preferences must be considered.

The Ghana Movie Awards has long been a subject of controversy, with previous criticisms surrounding its organization. This year, however, it was the fan mementos that dominated conversations after the event.

These wooden fan mementos featured inscriptions and a painting of Ghana’s red-gold-green flag along with the black star, symbolizing the country’s national pride. While some were puzzled by the design, others found the concept to be a bold representation of Ghanaian culture.

Nuamah also explained that the fan mementos were specifically awarded to winners of categories under the Ghana TV Series Awards, which was held alongside the Ghana Movie Awards.

“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 mementos. When it comes to Ghana TV Series Awards, because we don’t have the trademark, we started with the golden mementos, 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,” he highlighted.

Despite the controversy, Fred Nuamah maintained that the artists behind the creation of the fan mementos had a valid reason for their choice, and he acknowledged the importance of considering public reception when it comes to awarding symbols of recognition.