Speaking on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Blakk Rasta argued that such practices diminish the significance of the awards.
Blakk Rasta believes that the financial gains from awards should not come from the nominees or voters. Instead, he suggested that nominees should cover the expense of the awards themselves.
Late Baffoe-Bonie, Blakk Rasta and Obama
âPaying to vote is rubbing the shine off the award. Someone might say thatâs how the organizers make money, but is it merited? When organizers nominate individuals for the awards, they should be asked to pay for the award rather than asking for votes via shortcodes,â he said on Hitz FM.
Highlighting his preference for the Grammy Awards, Blakk Rasta stated, âI donât want awards, yet, I go for Grammys. I would want an award people donât pay for, unlike the TGMA where they do. People donât pay for the Grammy. It is a peer award.â
Blakk Rasta emphasized that pay-to-vote systems essentially allow people to buy awards. âIf people pay to vote via shortcodes, I think they are buying them,â he stated.
Ghanaian Artiste, Stonebwoy
He also referenced a 2019 incident involving musician Stonebwoy, who was asked to return an award after displaying a gun on stage. âStonebwoy said something similar during his beef with Shatta Wale and he was told to return the plaque. He insisted the amount of 50,000 GHS raised the previous night to win the votes be reimbursed before he could do so,â Blakk Rasta recalled.
Blakk Rasta called for changes to the current award systems to make them more equitable and accessible. âWe have to confirm this, we want a better award not what people would have to pay and vote. I donât have that money, and so are my fans in the âghettoâ. What happens to them is that they get rubbed off these things. We love some of these things, but some of the things should be amended,â he concluded.