<<Print>>

The Centre for Communication and Culture has launched its maiden culture industry awards, named “Onyimpong Culture Industry Excellence Award” at the tourist Information Centre, in Accra, on Monday, June 24, 2024.

The Onyimpong Awards, is an award scheme carved in the image of the ECRAG and later ACRAG awards that celebrated and awarded well deserving artists and players in the entertainment sector.

Addressing patrons at the launch, the Executive Director of the Centre for Communication and Culture, who is a veteran Journalist, Mr. Enimil Ashon, stated that, the award does not consider honouring just one part of the creative arts industry but noted that the scheme considers all the aspects of arts and culture.

“I have gone down this memory lane because the Onyimpong Awards which we are launching this morning is carved in the image of the ACRAG, in the sense that it is not an award for one art form such as the Ghana Music awards, currently the best organized and nationally acceptable scheme for rewarding musicians.

“The Onyimpong Awards is the mother of the arts. It is actually a Culture Industry Award in that will be handing out awards to musicians-including artistes and institutions in folk and traditional, highlife/hip life/afrobeat music- playwrights, film makers, weavers, architects, book writers, sculptors and painters,” he explained.

The Onyimpong Excellence Awards is in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Culture Forum.

The word “Onyimpong”, which is derived from the fantasy Akan word, “onyimpa”, which means, human being, seeks to identify various players in the creative arts and culture sector who have excelled and impacted society with their various works of arts.

The actual awards night is slated for 13th September, 2024; the birthday of Ghana’s celebrated composer and the father of Ghanaian Arts music, Dr. Ephraim Amu.

Expounding on why 13th September was chosen for the Awards Night, Mr. Enimil Ashon said, “the date has been carefully and advisedly chosen to commemorate the 125th birthday anniversary of Dr. Ephraim Amu who was born on that day in 1899. Fixing the date is, for us, a statement. We are simply saying that Ephraim Amu has not been celebrated enough.

“He not only originated the (Yaa Amponsah) highlife style; he not only gave us our alternative national anthem (Yen Ara Asaase Ni); he was a total advocate who lived out his Africans culture in songs, clothing and food preference.  

Mr. Enimil Ashon urged the general public to support the initiative and also promote the National assignment.