Veteran highlife musician and Chairman of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards Board, Amandzeba, has expressed his disagreement with calls to offer special incentives to winners in the highlife categories.

Speaking at Joy FM’s 8th Showbiz Roundtable held on March 14, 2026, he dismissed suggestions by some stakeholders that artistes who win highlife awards in the TGMA should receive special prize packages.

“I totally disagree. Why should you incentivise people to do what they have to do? Highlife is ours and has been with us. The problem we are facing currently is, there are not too many of us who do highlife so if we are in the minority does it mean we should go and whip people to come and do highlife? No. In actual fact every aspect of our career is a calling. Why would I be so stubbornly entrenched in what I do? Because where I come from and I know that the Ghanaian must be the proudest person in the whole world,” he said.

The debate forms part of ongoing discussions on how to preserve highlife as Ghana’s indigenous music genre.

In the past, highlife musician Dada Hafco has suggested that one of the ways to preserve the genre is to make it the ultimate award at the Telecel Ghana Music Awards.

Other stakeholders, including producer Appietus, have also argued that special prize packages for highlife category winners could encourage more artistes to embrace the genre.

The 8th edition of Showbiz Roundtable examined the theme ‘Preserving highlife as Ghana’s music heritage.’

The programme, hosted by arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie, aired on Joy 99.7 FM, Joy Prime and Joy News as part of the stations’ Ghana Month activities.

The panel featured Professor John Collins, ethnomusicologist; Amandzeba, highlife musician; Kofi Boachie-Ansah, also known as Beatmenace, audio engineer; Adina, highlife musician; and Jonas Bibi Hammond, a veteran music producer.

The keynote address was delivered by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Maame Efua Houadjeto, who highlighted the need for Ghana to derive more value from highlife while preserving it for future generations.

A special guest for the programme was UNESCO’s National Professional Officer for Culture, Carl Ampah, who provided insight into the implications of highlife being listed as Ghana’s intangible cultural heritage.

The event drew a live studio audience made up of musicians, journalists, music producers, music executives and other creative industry stakeholders. Among those in attendance were Asah Nkansah of Kwan Pa Band, Dela Botri, Yaw Darling, Seven Xavier and Tilly Akua Nipaa.

Showbiz Roundtable was brought to audiences by Showbiz A-Z, winner of the 2025 GJA Awards Entertainment Programme of the Year, powered by Joy Entertainment with support from Joy Prime.

The event was moderated by arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie and emceed by Noella Karyne Yalley.

The 8th Showbiz Roundtable was produced by Philip Nai, Anita Teye, Martin Kwasi Asare and DJ Wobeti.