Theresa Ayoade, the Chief Executive of Charterhouse, recently shared the fascinating story behind the inception of the renowned Ghana Music Awards.

In an exclusive interview with JoyNews, Ayoade revealed that the idea for the awards ceremony originated from her Nigerian husband, who was inspired by an incident he witnessed while working on another TV production called Agoro.

In a myjoyonline.com report, Mrs. Ayoade explained that her husband, despite not being fluent in the local language, ingeniously developed Agoro, a successful television program.

“My husband started this TV programme, Agoro. He designed the programme which was quite interesting for a Nigerian who didn’t speak the local language to design such a programme that was hugely successful,” she said.

She also revealed that she overheard two Ghanaian artistes; Akyeame and Lord Kenya, at a Kumasi event, competing over their popularity backstage and overheard a heated argument between them during the show.

“And Ghana Music Award was born out of Agoro because it was on that Agoro platform that was taking musicians to various parts of the country. So on one of the shows in Kumasi, he overheard Akyeame and Lord Kenya arguing over who was the most popular. So when he came back, he made that suggestion,” Mrs Ayoade recounted.

Intrigued by the vibrant music scene in Ghana and the introduction of new genres like Hip life, Ayoade's husband saw an opportunity to create an event that would recognize and celebrate the country's talented musicians.

Upon his return, he shared this idea with Ayoade, who, being skilled in sales and having a passion for creativity, immediately embraced it.

As Ayoade immersed herself in the project, she decided to resign from her position at the Multimedia Group, specifically Joy FM, to join her husband in organizing the Ghana Music Awards.

“I was in that marketing space, so I jumped into it and we designed it and packaged it for it to launch. So it was at that time that I resigned from The Multimedia Group—Joy FM—so that I could join him to organise it, and that was when Charter House was birthed,” she narrated.

This pivotal moment marked the birth of Charter House, the company responsible for the awards ceremony's successful execution.

The Ghana Music Awards quickly gained a reputation as the country's most prestigious music event, thanks to the dedication and vision of Ayoade and her husband.

Through their joint efforts, they designed and packaged the awards ceremony, ensuring its grand launch and subsequent recognition within the music industry.

ADA/WA