Highlife Artiste of the Year at the 2025 Telecel Ghana Music Awards, Fameye, has revealed that the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) gave him GH₵10,000 during a MUSIGA event held in his honour over the weekend.

The event, organised by the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), took place at the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill in Accra on Saturday, 19th July 2025. It formed part of efforts to support ageing musicians and promote Ghana’s highlife music heritage.

Speaking on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz with Kwame Dadzie, Fameye said the gesture from GTA came as a pleasant surprise.

“I think I had a good time. First of all, MUSIGA has done well because this is like the first time they are honouring Highlife Artiste of the Year. Big love to Bessa Simons. He has always been a father to me. Doing this thing for me was really good.

GTA as well. Abeiku Santana, big love. I had some cash from them. Abeiku Santana was the one that presented it. They gave me ten thousand cedis. I wasn’t even expecting it. I was focused on the citation,” he said.

Fameye was honoured by MUSIGA for remaining true to the highlife genre at a time when many younger artistes shy away from it. Along with the cash donation, he was presented with a citation recognising his contribution to the development and preservation of highlife music.

The citation read in part: “This victory is a testament to his dedication to preserving and evolving the highlife genre, blending traditional sounds with contemporary storytelling in a way that resonates deeply with audiences. MUSIGA commends Fameye for holding firmly to highlife as a vital cultural expression, especially as his triumph coincides with the historic enlistment of highlife music as part of the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO this year.”

The event, dubbed Authentic Highlife Nite, was part of MUSIGA’s ongoing campaign to raise funds for the Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund (AMWeF). It brought together a mix of legendary and contemporary musicians including Pat Thomas, Samuel Owusu, Aklerh, Old Soldier, Mr Brown, Kaakyire Kwame Appiah, Bessa Simons, Paulina Oduro, Adane Best and Grammy nominee Rocky Dawuni.

The occasion attracted high-profile guests such as the French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules-Armand Aniambossou; UNESCO Country Representative, Edmond Moukaila; Director of Culture at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Divine Owusu-Ansah; and Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Abeiku Santana Aggrey.

Diplomats and representatives from various foreign missions and state agencies were also in attendance.