Episode upset over exclusion in Best Performer category of Bass Awards

Nominees for the second edition of Bass Awards 2014 were officially launched at the Z-Bar Restaurant and Lounge in Accra last Friday, May 30, 2014.

Blakk Rasta, Episode, Fuse ODG, Iwan, Jupitar, Jael Wiafe, Jah Wadada, MzVee, Ras Kuuku, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy and Wiyaala are among the many artistes who earned nominations in the 18 categories respectively.

With the omission of the Songwriter category as its first controversy resulting in the organizers of the awards, Rackus Production, capping Shatta Wale as the artiste with the highest nominations instead of Ras Kuuku; Episode also feels unappreciated for not being nominated in the best performer category.

Unhappy Episode who earned 3 nominations in the Dancehall song of the year category with ‘Turn up,' Best Collaboration of the year with ‘Circumstance’ featuring Edem and Record of the year (Yaa Asantewaa Award) with Mandela, noted that he truly yearned to have also been nominated in the Best Performer of the year category.

“I really wanted to be in the Best Performer category; I believe it is not only about me winning, but we need to be recognized for our good works and for the year under review, I think I deserve to be appreciated,” Episode said in an exclusive interview with IB on the Cruise Control show on Accra based Hitz 103.9FM yesterday.

According to him, “I was really pissed for not being in the Best Performer category and also the Music Video, Dancehall category but we give thanks that we have 3 nominations although we don’t know the scheme they based on to nominate.”

Episode said he would have won in the Best Performer category because he shared stage with the official nominees in the category; Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Ras Kuuku and Jupiter on most events including ‘2013 Loud in GH’ and the maiden edition of Bass Awards last year, to mention a few. “My stagecraft with the ‘soldier dancers’ and performance crowned the 2013 Bass Award, we just hope we will be nominated next year until then we will keep the work up.”

Speaking to the General Manager and Head of Communications at Rackus Production, Gabriel Boateng (Gabby) on the same show about Episode’s exclusion especially in the Best Performer category, he noted that although he is only a communicator for the event, he believes the nomination board selected the nominees based on their criteria.

“I am only a communicator, but these guys who have been put onto the board based according to their criteria to select the artistes.”

He added that the committee may have their criteria for picking the artistes in there (Best Performer category) and these artistes had some performances in the UK, Germany, etc. and maybe he (Episode) did not share those stages with them, unfortunately, “I don’t know the criteria they based on but subsequently, he (Episode) may win the award for the Best performer hopefully on other editions of Bass Awards.”

“Episode is a fine Dancehall artiste and has within no time matured to this stage as a Dancehall artiste, but they should not forget that the board sat to put together the nominees for that category; you (Episode) are a fine Dancehall artiste, and I pray you win that category one day,” he assured Episode. Episode sounding positive about Gabby’s assurance, responded with a triple Amen and said “I don’t know the scheme, but I was just praying to see my name in there (Best Performer and Music Video, Dancehall categories).

Watch Episode perform at the maiden edition of Bass Award 2013: